The Lion King: An Alternate Storyline
by Chu10
Summary: Imagine this. What if the characters from the Lion King II: Simba's Pride had to live through events similar to that of the first Lion King? This story keeps the characters and relations the same, however, events from the two movies are reversed. How different would the story be then? Full summary inside. Cover illustrated by me.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:**

**Imagine this. What if the characters from the Lion King II: Simba's Pride had to live through events similar to that of the first Lion King? Imagine, if Simba and Nala were the ones to build up the motto of 'We Are One' among the Pridelanders by uniting two prides together. Imagine, if Kiara was the one who got to experience the motto of 'Hakuna Matata' in the lush African jungles instead. Different set of characters in the plot will affect the events, especially when the cast of characters experience events different from their own movies. How different would the story be?**

**A/N: Naaaants Ingonyama!**

**Welcome to my first fanfic of The Lion King! Thank you for stopping by. It's an idea that I've had for awhile and felt like composing, and it's my first fanfiction that I have actually decided to put up. Now that my laptop's here I can finally start on it. This idea is not a repeat of canon-well, not exactly though. You'll know what I mean soon if you read on. Do have a listen to 'The Circle of Life" from the Lion King to the first segment if you can, it improves the reading experience.**

**The Lion King and the cast of characters belong to the wonderful people at Disney.**

A loud cry echoes across the great expanse of the African Serengeti, calling out to all the animals as the sun slowing blazes its way up into the sky, lighting it up in a stunning sunrise. From far and wide, all the way from the base of Mount Kilimanjaro to the banks of the rivers that flowed through the heart of the Pridelands, creatures big and small flew, crawled, leaped and trotted through the morning mist that enveloped the lush, endless fields of grass.

The great Circle of Life, the motto of the Pridelanders. Just like the motion of the sun in the sky, every being would rise and fall. And on a new dawn, just like the sun, the descendants of these beings will rise for a new dawn, to their own legacy. This morning was a new beginning for a new spark of life. It was the birth of Princess Kiara, the daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala. Their prides, once feuding, had come together as one.

"We are One," Simba caressed Nala's cheek with his own. A pride of great lions, united as one.

"One family under the sun," Nala replied, quoting the familiar phrases of song and smiling widely. This was one of the greatest days in both of their lives. A princess born to both of the lovers. Not just a princess to their eyes, but to the whole of the Pridelands as well. The couple sat in the den, a sheltered place on Pride Rock. The cub was held in Nala's front paws, snuggled tightly and sleeping. An old mandrill came hobbling up to them, holding on to a staff for support. Said staff was actually a branch fashioned out from one of the branches from the ancient tree that he called home, and from the end hung two sweet smelling fruit. The mandrill was old, his face weathered from many decades of joy and sorrow. He lit up when he saw the family.

"Rafiki," the couple acknowledged, and the old mandrill smiled warmly. "Ah, de new Princess," he chuckled, plucking one of the fruits off his staff and cracking it open. Inside the fruit held a sticky red juice, and Rafiki dipped his finger into it. "Rise and shine, Princess Kiara," he cooed gently in his strange accent, standing over the princess and her mother. With a gentle lick on her head from her mother, Kiara opened her sleepy eyes, turning towards Rafiki.

Rafiki brought down his finger to her forehead, streaking it with red. _The blood of royalty_. He then picked up a small handful of dirt from the cave floor, sprinkling it over Kiara. _Born of the Earth, the dust from her ancestors._ She sneezed, and both her parents laughed with joy. Bending down, Rafiki took the cub into his arms gently, and started making his way upwards to the promontory. The birds who were flying overhead started catching glimpses of the new Princess, and their songs of excitement started to rise in volume. The animals gathered before Pride Rock could hear the commotion up in the air, and they lifted their heads towards the promontory's peak in anticipation.

There, Rafiki appeared, holding Kiara in his arms. Without hesitation, he thrust Kiara up into the air, holding her high for all the animals to see. At this, the crowd erupted into cheers. All of them, even the huge and majestic African elephants, fell to their knees in respect. Simba and Nala appeared behind Rafiki, gaining cheers as loud as the one for their Princess. The air was alive with celebration and well wishes for the new member of the royal family.

* * *

The annual season of rain came like it always would, flooding the great plains and bringing a fresh breath of life into the Pridelands. The rivers swelled and new, young grass grew in abundance.

Rafiki, the old mandrill, bounded about in his tree, safe from the storms. His tree, a baobab tree which looked as old as the shaman of the Pridelands himself, and a place in which he made his home, was located on the outskirts of the Pridelands. In his excitement, he had nearly forgot that he made use of the staff as a walking aid, instead holding it up and chuckling to himself as he made a drawing on the wall with his fingers. After a few moments of concentration in his craft, the mandrill stepped back to admire his work. It was Kiara herself, drawn in the symbol of a lioness cub onto the inner bark of the giant tree.

"_Kee-A-Raa_," he rolls the Princess' name off his tongue, tinged with his accent. Dipping his finger into a halved fruit and smearing a streak of red juice onto the symbol's forehead, he smiles even wider. "Princess Kiara," he says with a flourish. As the shamans before him had recorded the ancestors of the royal family, Rafiki would follow in their footsteps-or handiworks-to ensure that the records continued. Above Kiara's symbol were the symbols of many other lions before her time, painted over many years. And each one of their symbols interacted in one way or another with other symbols, not necessarily only of lions but of places and other animals as well. Each symbol held stories of their own, of the best and for some, the worst things that they had done in life. Their legacies that would live on in the form of paintings on the inner walls of the ancient baobab tree. Kiara's painting was small compared to the other symbols above hers, representing a new spark of life starting in the Pridelands. One day, she will leave her own legacy as well, Rafiki thought proudly.

* * *

A few months later, a streak of golden sunlight filtered through the den at Pride Rock, illuminating the mouth of the cave. Inside, a pride of lions lay, sleeping contentedly past the sunrise. On a peaceful morning like this, no one felt the need to get up early. Except for one little cub. The cub slowly crept away from the sleeping forms of her own parents. It's easier now, she thought. She had requested to not sleep between her mother's arms now that she was a big cub. It had felt significantly colder last night, but that was just part of her plan and she had to stick to it. She stalked through the cave, imitating the hunting prowls of the older lionesses. She couldn't wake anyone up. Except for another little cub, who was sleeping next to his mother. She tugged on his ear with her teeth.

"Kovu," she whispered, "Kovu!"

"Huh?" The little brown coloured cub blinked his eyes open, looking into the eyes of the golden cub.

"Oh. Princess," he grinned.

"It's not 'Princess', it's just Kiara," she protested, gaining her a playful smack from the brown cub.

"Shh!" he hissed, "the others will hear us."

"Oh, right." Kiara lowered her voice down to a whisper again, smiling sheepishly.

"What're you waiting for? Let's go!" he whispered, tiptoeing out of the cave. Just then, his mother inhaled loudly, making both of the cubs tense up. But then she quickly fell back into the rhythmic breaths of sleep. Kiara and Kovu quickly escaped the den.

"Whew! That was close!" Kiara exclaimed as they started making their way down the rocky steps of Pride Rock. The rising sun reflected off everything in the land, giving it a beautiful orange-gold glow. Even the cubs' fur was glowing under the bright morning sun.

"You nearly screwed it up," Kovu replied, and both of the cubs laughed.

"You're kinda dumb for a princess," Kovu said with a smirk.

"What?! I am not!" she protested.

"Am too."

"Am not!"

"Am too." Kovu smiled, enjoying his tease.

"Don't call me Princess!" Kiara pouted. She continued walking, but her inattentiveness caused her to trip and fall over the edge of a rock onto the ground, sending up a cloud of glowing sun-lit dust. "Oof!"

Kovu laughed loudly, lifting his head high up into the air. "Maybe you should have been called Princess Clumsy!" He stuck out his tongue, blowing a raspberry, and ran ahead, scampering up a huge boulder. "Hey, there it is," he stood at attention, looking out into the distance. Kiara quickly brushed the dust off herself, joining Kovu on the peak of the boulder.

"So that's what you wanted to show me?" she asked, looking in the same direction as him.

"Yep," Kovu answered, "isn't it exciting?"

"Umm..." Kiara hesitated, "I don't know." The cubs stood, looking out into the distance at the a dark patch in the golden expanse of grass. The Outlands. Not very long ago, a third of the current lions in the Pridelands lived there before Simba and Nala brought the pride together as one. Nala, the mother of Kiara herself, was from the Outlands. Both her and Simba had told Kiara snippets of the story, of course leaving out the parts where the lions had tried to kill each other. A war fought over the rightful ownership of the Pridelands, and in the end managing to unite both the Prides. That was where the lion's motto comes in. We are One. Regardless of colour, size or even the distinct shapes of their noses which defined each lion as a Pridelander or an Outlander, the lions bled the same colour in battle. United by blood.

This was all, however, a lot for a child to take in, and they have not understood the meaning of the phrase yet. So instead, Kovu, Kiara, and the other lion cubs in the pride lived happily, having little to no knowledge of the war just before their time. To both Kovu, the Outlands now was a place of adventure due to it's previous inhabitants moving into the Pridelands and leaving it empty. To Kiara, it was just another place that her parents had not told her about.

"Are you _scared_?" Kovu taunted her.

"No!" Kiara proudly puffed out her chest, "let's go!"

"And where do you children think you're going?" An amused voice spoke from behind them. The cubs jumped and turned around to face a huge lion. He looked very alike to Kiara, even in colouration and down to the way he smiled. The similarities ended there-the lion had a huge auburn mane and was very well built. However, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. This lion was Simba, Kiara's father. The King of the Pridelands.

"S-sir!" Kovu exclaimed, "uh, we were-"

"We were going to the waterhole, Daddy." Kiara quickly cut in. Simba lifted an eyebrow. "We were thirsty," she added.

"You could have called me or your mother awake," Simba said, "Kiara, how many times have I told you-"

"It's not safe," Kiara finished with a sigh. "Precisely," Simba said, licking the top of her head affectionately.

"Daddy," Kiara rolled her eyes, "I'm a big cub already."

Simba laughed. "For me, you'll always be my little Kiara." At this, Kovu had to stifle a giggle. Simba turned to Kovu. "And I don't think you guys were thirsty," he said with a wink. Kovu gulped.

"Go back to your mother, Kovu," Simba smiled, nudging him towards Pride Rock. "As for you," he turned towards Kiara, "you're coming with me." He started up Pride Rock after Kovu.

"Aww," Kiara grumbled, and climbed after her father.

* * *

Father and daughter sat on the summit of Pride Rock. Kiara swept her gaze all around. The Pridelands was awash in the beautiful sunlight. In the distance was Mount Kilimanjaro, and she could see the sparkling rivers that meandered and coursed through the Pridelands. She could see miles and miles of greenery sparkling in the morning sun. They were as high as the birds that circled high above the Pridelands. Kiara took a deep breath and smiled at the fresh air that entered her lungs.

"Look around, Kiara. What do you see?" Simba asked.

"Umm...the lands that I'll rule over one day?" she said. Her parents had emphasised, quite proudly, on the fact that she would one day be Queen. She did not say in in an arrogant manner, but rather with the innocence of a child.

"Yes, one day you will rule it all," he smiled proudly, "let me tell you what your grandfather once told me. Do you see the rising sun, Kiara?" She nodded, and he continued. "A ruler's time rises and falls like the sun. One day, the sun will set on my time, and rise with you as the new Queen of these lands, and you will take your place in the great Circle of Life. Do you understand?"

Kiara nodded blankly, then turned to her father. "But Daddy, who would be the King then?" Simba grinned. He could see how close his own daughter was with Kovu. He leaned down, and whispered into her ear even though no other creatures were anywhere nearby.

"Kovu," he said cheekily. Kiara gasped.

"But Daddy! I can't marry him-he's my friend!"

Simba laughed heartily. "That's what I thought about your mother many years ago too."

"Eww! Friends don't marry each other!" Kiara protested. She started thinking of her and Kovu together as King and Queen. No wait, maybe Kovu himself could be King, so he could marry another lioness so that she wouldn't be Queen. It would work out perfectly-they could still be best of friends and she needn't be Queen. However, when Kiara started thinking of who was going to marry Kovu and be Queen in her place, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Jealous not of the mystery lioness' rank, but of her place next to Kovu for some reason, and she couldn't quite figure out why.

"-are you listening, Kiara?"

Kiara looked up to her father. "Daddy, what if I don't want to be Queen?"

Simba's eyebrows shot up. When he was young, he just couldn't WAIT to be king. "Why not?"

"Being a Queen is no fun. I don't get to go anywhere," Kiara sulked.

"Well, you're not free to do it all your way..." said Simba. "But you do get your privileges if you're Queen."

"Like what?"

Simba thought to himself. He hadn't assumed the throne for a long time, and had only been King for awhile. "You have lots of animals that look up to you and love you."

"But I don't want them to love me as Queen-I want to be normal best friends with them!"

"Is there a difference?"

"Yes there is."

"Who said a Queen couldn't be friends with her subjects?"

Kiara paused, "I-I said so!"

Simba laughed again. "We shall see, my little Kiara."

"I'm not little!" She protested, only to have Simba nuzzle her lovingly.

* * *

A clear, cloudless sunrise in the Pridelands meant a hot day for all its inhabitants. Half of the lionesses basked in the shade of acacia trees just a stone's throw away from Pride Rock, yawning lazily. They had no desire to move around much in the harsh late morning sun. In the distance, wildebeest and antelope moved slowly across the sizzling heat of the savannah. A few insects buzzed around the lionesses and the only response from them were lazy flicks of their tails to keep off the persistent creatures. The other half were out and about in the Pridelands, patrolling the huge territory.

Kiara came down from Pride Rock and caught sight of her best friend-none other than Kovu, of course-lazing under the shades of the trees. A smile lit up her face and she bounded along the pathway to him.

Kovu was lying down next to his mother, and when he saw her, his face lit up too. "Hey Kiara."

"Hi Kovu. Hello Auntie Zira." She smiled widely.

"Why hello, _Princess_." Kovu's mother said, grating out on the word as if it was an insult. She wasn't an unpleasant lioness though, thought Kiara. Zira was one of the Outlanders that had came over to the Pridelands when both prides joined as one. She had all the features that defined her as an ex-Outlander-darker fur, an anchor shaped nose, a more angular facial structure-but what really defined her was a stripe that ran from her forehead down to her shoulders. Her ear was also marked with a part that was torn off, probably during a fight.

Kovu jumped off the rock that he was sitting on. "Can I go play with Kiara, mother?"

Suddenly, Kiara was whisked up behind by her own mother, Nala. "Waa-hey! MOM!" Kiara cried.

"It's time for your bath," Nala laughed, "now be a good girl and sit still." At first glance, it was hard to see how Kiara was related to Nala because both had different colourations. Queen Nala had a regal way of walking, a beautiful light cream coat, and teal eyes, while Kiara mirrored her father by having a light golden coat and dark red eyes. However, looking closer, one could see that Kiara inherited much of her mother's facial features, especially her nose and mouth.

Kiara sighed and allowed herself to be licked clean by her mother. Zira glanced up at the both of them. "Do give Kovu a clean too. The boy is always filthy," she grumbled, causing Nala to smile at her old friend. Nala herself was from the Outlands as well, and was one of few lionesses to have mixed blood in her. Her mother came from the Pridelands, while her father was from the Outlands. She inherited much of her features from her own father, but enough from her mother to make her a very attractive lioness in both prides. She gave Kiara one final big lick, and pulled Kovu over with her paw. "Your turn, young man."

Kovu was, surprisingly, more patient and well behaved than the Princess, and he sat nicely while he was cleaned. "There you go," Nala said, "a clean, handsome young lion!"

"Thank you Madam," Kovu said politely. Nala shook her head. "Oh dear," she smiled, "it's just Nala, not Madam."

"Alright Ma-_Nala_." It felt strange for Kovu to address Nala with her name for the first time, especially with her now being the Queen. "That's better," Nala approved, "now you two lovebirds run along. And be back before sunset!" She shouted as the two cubs started bounding away. Nala smiled to herself. Those two would make a great pair one day.

* * *

Kiara was thinking of what both her parents said as she ran along the path with Kovu. What was that her father said about marrying him again? And did she hear wrongly, or was her mother calling them lovebirds? Maybe she was really going to marry Kovu after all. The thought made her blush. One day, IF they really did marry after all and Kiara had to become Queen, there would be little cubs bouncing about around Pride Rock. Oh, Kiara thought, that would be so lovely. If the cub was a girl, her name would be-

"Kiara!" Kovu cut into her thoughts. "Your Highness is daydreaming, huh?"

Kiara blushed deeper immediately. "Oh, umm, what?" She snapped out of her fantasies of her and Kovu being rulers together, and even having-she cringed a little at the thought-CUBS. Kovu hadn't seen what she was thinking of though, and he laughed.

"Hey Kiara, remember the place I showed you this morning?"

"You mean the shadowy place where the sun meets the land?" Horizon was not a word in Kiara's vocabulary yet.

"Yeah. I hope you haven't become a scaredy-cat and changed your mind!"

Kiara rolled her eyes. "You're just saying that because you're more scared of the place than I am!"

"Oh yeah?" Kovu challenged. "I bet you're even more scared!"

"No!"

"Bet you are! Bet the little princess is very SCARED!" Kovu smirked.

Kiara pouted. "I'm not scared." Seeing that his best friend was a little upset, Kovu smacked her on the shoulder gently. "Come on!" he said cheerily, hoping that his own cheerfulness would spread to her. "Race you to the shadowy place!" he cried. On the count of-"

Kiara suddenly took off running and laughing loudly, turning her head to blow a playful raspberry at her friend. "Catch me if you can!"

"Hey!" Kovu exclaimed as he chased her. "No fair!"

Both cubs ran into the distance, laughing loudly and teasing each other without a care in the world.

**AND enter epic Lion King title sequence!**

** Kiara won't have exactly the same experiences, because even though I am attempting to mirror the story of the first Lion King, there are many different characters on set, and that means even the little things that they say or do can affect the story. In this story, I hope I can keep the characters intact and in-character. I respect canon and the personalities given to each and every colourful character that Disney has brought to life. Thank you so much for reading this, dear reader. Please do review if you can, I'll love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to ask me questions as well (although I won't give away plot points directly). Cheers!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello once again, readers! Thank you for sticking with me to the second chapter. For the long first segment this time, do have a listen to "The Lioness Hunt", a Lion King musical exclusive. You won't regret it, I swear.**

* * *

While the sun rose higher into the late morning sky, it meant playtime for the cubs. But to the lionesses lazing in the shade that morning, that was another story. It came the time where the lionesses felt the need to hunt and bring back food for the pride. Because there were now more lionesses due to combined prides, the hunting parties could rotate and take turns every few days. It saved a lot of energy, and kept the Pride from over-hunting the animals all around. Another advantage was that the patrolling team inside the Pridelands could take turns, and any cub left at Pride Rock was left to their care. Not long after her daughter had ran off to play with Kovu, Nala roared loudly, calling the other lionesses back to Pride Rock.

Nala, now the Queen and the leader of half of the hunting party, then led a group of about nine lionesses out into the open savannah. For miles around, it was a rolling field of long grass, and the midday sun was so intense that it sizzled the very air itself, and any water from the ground was quickly evaporated away, giving an illusion that the air was trembling under the heat. The group of lionesses stalked through the field, panting from the heat. What kept them going, however, was the scent of prey. Nobody complained despite the heat because they were almost sure that they could catch their meal. And nobody spoke, either. That was a waste of energy especially in the sweltering heat, and if anyone spoke too near their prey, they stood a higher chance of alerting prey to their presence. Only the leader of the hunting party will speak to the group before the hunt if they spotted prey on the horizon, and only to depart strategies. It was a general rule that everyone mutually agreed to.

One of the more experienced hunters in the group, a sandy pelted lioness named Furaha, caught sight of a herd of antelope grazing in the far distance. She perked up her tail and pointed her chin in their direction, signalling the presence of prey in their sight. Everyone caught her signal, and stopped, turning their attention from Furaha to Nala. Nala nodded, and spoke softly but quickly.

"The hunting strategy is the same. Three of you," she gestured, "will scatter the herd. Three of you," she gestured to another trio of lionesses, "will exhaust the antelope. Chase off the stronger ones and narrow the weak ones down. The three of us," she pointed out two other lionesses and herself, "will target onto one prey that I select. Remember the rule. No young antelope are to be touched. Target what I target. _Bahati njema_." The group nodded to her instruction and lowered their stances to crouch into the long grass, their coats blending into the environment. Only their tips of their tails were held above the highest blades of grass to give out their positions to the other lionesses. Although they could see where each other was, it was hard to see exactly what the other lionesses were doing. It was a matter of trust as they circled the antelope, staying as silent as the trembling air.

As the tension built up and even the air itself started feeling more hot and tight, Nala tuned out all the other sounds in the savannah and focused her attention on the grazing herd. Her gaze swept across the herd quickly, picking out the possible targets. A full grown antelope that favoured it's right front hoof, leaning heavily on it. An older one that moved slower than the others. She watched the young antelope hop about, frolicking with their parents. Those were the young and healthy ones, and not their targets. All the while, she surveyed the seemingly moving blades of grass near the antelope. The strange grass inched closer and closer to the herd, even getting among unsuspecting prey. Nala held her breath and tensed her muscles, ready for a pounce. Any moment now.

An adult antelope suddenly perked it's head up to attention, eyes bright and ears straight. It's nose twitched slightly, and before it could let out a call of warning, out sprung a lioness from the middle of the herd, fangs bared, claws latching on to the bucking antelope's rump, catching it by surprise. The commotion of both the prey and the predator instantly caused panic and confusion in the herd, and in the middle of the flurry, out leaped two other lionesses, charging at nearby antelope. Nala saw another lioness, running down the weaker ones in the herd. Who the lioness was did not matter-all of Nala's attention went to the fleeing antelope. She barked an order and charged at the antelope. Yes, this one was the one that favoured a hoof. She heard her other party members behind her, catching up to assist. But no matter. She was near enough to hear the breaths of her prey and feel the flying dust cloud that he had kicked up in an attempt to escape. It zigzagged desperately. But no matter. Nala's hunch about his injured hoof was right, and she was flying after him, catching up with him in a matter of seconds. As if in slow motion, she caught the slightest hint of her prey's bad leg tripping it, and she sprung.

Down went the antelope, and as Nala fought to keep it's kicking hooves and sharp horns off, she aimed her jaws to the antelope's throat. In a heartbeat, one of her comrades came to assist her, pinning the antelope down, and clamped her jaws around his neck in a death grip, throttling it and snapping the slender neck immediately, giving the antelope a quick, clean death. The antelope bucked for one last time, then lay still. Nala, breathing heavily, silently gave thanks to her prey. She looked up to find a young, brown pelted lioness by the name of Nzuri, breathing heavily, jaws still clamped around the neck of her kill.

"You did well," Nala praised her, "good job." The young lioness smiled exhaustedly at this and released her kill.

"Thank you, Nala," she panted. The rest of the lionesses gathered round, breathing heavily from their exertions as well. Nala stood up, first doing a head count, and after confirming that everyone was present, she counted the prey. Two antelope had fallen, and they would feast tonight.

Before Nala could praise her hunting party for a hunt well done, a little voice shouted out to her from a slightly elevated mound of grass. "Mom!"

"Kiara." Nala embraced her daughter, who ran up to her. "Kovu." She smiled warmly at her daughter's best friend, who smiled widely back at her. Turning her attention to the rest of the pride, she quickly thanked them for a successful hunt, and instructed them to take the kills back to Pride Rock, dismissing the hunting party.

"That was a very good hunt!" Kiara gushed, very impressed by her own mother.

"Thank you, dear." she licked Kiara on the forehead. Leading the two cubs into the shade of a tree, Nala stretched herself out and lay down, relaxing after the hunt. Kiara and Kovu came up next to her.

"Children, tonight we are eating antelope," she said. Kiara voiced her happiness, but Kovu seemed to be thinking deeply. Nala looked at him. "Kovu? Is something wrong?"

"Umm, nothing, Nala," the little cub stammered. Nala raised her brows. She understood where Kovu's hesitance was coming from. Whenever Kovu approached Zira to ask questions, he was turned down or swatted away by his impatient mother. Due to that, he learnt to keep questions to himself, instead choosing to find out the answers on his own.

"You have to tell me. It's an order," she said teasingly. Kovu's emerald eyes stayed locked on the ground, and he fiddled with his paws. Kiara tilted her head curiously, and Nala put her paw under his chin, lifting it up to face her. "What's wrong, Kovu?"

"Well, I was wondering-" he paused, "why do we have to kill the antelope? It's a little..._evil_." He could already hear his own mother glaring at him and telling him cruelly that he was a weak little lion for even thinking these thoughts. To his surprise, Nala laughed at him, and it wasn't a mocking laugh. It was one that sounded motherly, even.

"My dear little Kovu," she pulled him close to her, "Kiara, come closer too. I'd like to tell you both what my own mother once told me." When the cubs were snuggled comfortably up to her, she started.

"Children, look around you. From the crawling ant to the leaping antelope," she paused, looking at Kiara chuckle, but failed to get the irony that that was exactly what was hunted, and continued, "we are all connected in the great Circle of Life. Kovu, you asked why we hunted the antelope, am I right? Yes, we eat the antelope to survive, and give thanks for a kill. Remember that the antelopes eat the grass? When we die, our bodies become the grass."

Kiara listened quietly, but Kovu was still doubtful. "But Nala. The small antelope. They looked so scared..." he said. Nala's expression turned serious, and she looked at at both of the cubs, meeting their eyes one by one.

"Listen to me, Kovu, Kiara. Especially you, Kiara. You are going to grow up to take my place as Queen and become the leader of the hunting party in my place one day. There are two important rules when we hunt. Number one, is to always follow the instruction of the leader. The second is even more important-do not touch the young antelope. This is to make sure that the young ones take their parent's place in the Circle of Life. And remember to thank the prey's spirit after a kill for providing us with food."

Kovu seemed genuinely satisfied with Nala's answer, and he smiled, pleased to know that the antelope wasn't killed in vain. Nala licked him on the cheek. "Kovu, you are a good lion at heart. Never forget that." Turning to Kiara, she said, "And Kiara, about the great Circle of Life. Never forget it's rules and you'll be a good Queen one day." She gave her a lick on the cheek as well. Kiara felt like asking her mother more about a situation which she could avoid taking up the responsibilities of being Queen yet still marrying Kovu would work, but she kept the question to herself, smiling innocently back at her mother. The question would have to wait, she thought.

* * *

As the sun reached it's peak in the midday sky, not a cloud was in sight, and the heat got even worse. Many animals took to the waterhole, or retreated into their dens to combat the heat that rose in waves from the ground. The pair of best friends went on their way to the shadowy place, while Nala returned to Pride Rock.

As the cubs approached the border, they caught a glimpse of Simba in the far distance, doing a noon patrol of the Prideland borders. It was the duty of the King to check the borders, and that of the lionesses to patrol the insides of the Pridelands. Kiara and Kovu lowered themselves into the grass, imitating the lioness hunt. They had only one chance to sneak past the King. After what seemed like an hour to the cubs, they had slipped right under Simba's nose and out of the familiar territory of the Pridelands. When they finally came to a river, they took a huge breath, and started laughing in relief.

"Can you believe it?" Kiara said happily.

"Yeah, we sneaked out right behind him," Kovu snickered. He looked around, sniffing at the air. The place brought a scent of deja vu to his nostrils, which he couldn't quite seem to place. The scent and sights to Kiara however, were very new. The air held the smell of dust, and told stories of recent events that had come to pass in this place. A ghost of a place abandoned for a couple of seasons hung in the air. To both the cubs, the place held a sense of mystery and adventure. Here, the soil was softer and darker by the riverbank, and tall, slim shadows loomed in the distance, looking impending even though the place was lit by daylight. It was strange, however-there seemed to be a black cloud sitting on top of the tower like structures.

Kiara tapped Kovu on the shoulder. "Hey, let's get a closer look," she said, her voice tinged with anticipation. Kovu nodded, and started to follow Kiara across the river, jumping on to a low branch and scampering across.

The Outlands, as it happened, was abandoned after the prides came together, and now it was overrun with termites. The tall, dark shadows that stabbed into the sky were in fact gigantic termite mounds, and the black clouds that hung at their crowns were giant swarms of termites. Millions, no, even zillions, both cubs counted, trying to guess a number for the buzzing insects above them. On the ground was a different story-the trees, once leafless and barren, were starting to bear the tiniest hint of leaves. However, the ground was littered with the remains of skeletons of various animals that the previous inhabitants had left behind. Had the cubs known that, among the skeletons, there were a few that once belonged to _lions_, they would have turned tails and fled the place.

But they did not know.

Dustier, unkempt, creepier, and even hotter than the Pridelands in the day, it would have been surprising how the Outlanders had managed to hold out here for so long.

"Woah..." Kovu muttered blankly, trying to absorb every new detail. The difference in the ground, the stillness in the air, the constant buzzing of the termite swarm. Why did this all seem so familiar-

"_RAARRGH_!" A demonic looking creature with a huge, hollow skeleton head bumped into Kovu's flank, nearly making him jump out of his skin. He cowered backwards, and for a split second, he thought that one of the skeletons had really come to life. Until the skull started giggling. Kovu rolled his eyes and swatted the skull off Kiara. She rolled on the ground, holding her stomach and laughing uncontrollably.

"Did you see the look on your face?" She said in between bouts of laughter, "I scared you! Kovu was _scared_! Raargh!"

Kovu did not look amused, but he started to chuckle along with her. He would get back at her later, and she wouldn't see it coming. Grinning mischievously, he bent over the laughing form of Kiara.

"Wanna go...into that cave?" he asked.

"Which one?"

"That one," he pointed his chin towards the highest termite mound that could be found in the area.

Kiara's eyes brightened with the prospect of adventure. Pushing Kovu's snout out of the way, she got up and took a look at the cavern. A wind blew out from it's mouth with a rattling sound, making their fur stand on end. Both cubs looked at each other.

"Woah," they breathed in unison.

******Sorry I had to cut it here! ****Next chapter, the cavern. **

**'Bahati njema' means 'good luck' in Swahili.**

**Kovu's hesitance to take away a life comes from the deleted scenes of Lion King II, in which he catches a termite and chooses to spare it. Zira, being the _lovely_ mother that she is, chooses to tell him off about it. I also felt that there were too little scenes of Kiara and her mother. I think, with both their personalities, they'll make a great mother-daughter pair (with them siding against Simba's protectiveness and all, hehe!). And I feel that as mother of the Princess, Nala can impart her own knowledge to her daughter as well. It's not all the father's job, you know! I mean, I don't remember Nala talking much to her own daughter in the sequel but it's obvious she loves her. I just love cubhood, and wanted to show more of how life in the pride is.**  
**  
Till the next chapter, cheers!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Welcome to the third chapter! I love all of you, readers and reviewers :) Read on and find out about a unique character that I decided shall own the Outlander's cavern after they abandoned it.**

**Also in this chapter, I will be introducing a character created by _Vulaan_ _Kulaas_ into the story. She's a lioness known as Amali.**

**I forgot about the disclaimer last chapter so here it is. I do not own the Lion King. All rights belong to Disney, who created this wonderful set of characters for us to fool around with. Amali belongs to _Vulaan_ _Kulaas_. Every other OC belongs to me.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

This place was heaven.

Well, he was kind of used to this heaven, but nevertheless, it was his. Paradise would be a better way to put it, because he was not dead. Food was flowing freely everywhere. Within a few steps, there was always another one. And another. I'll never have to share it with another, he thought. He sniffed the air and rotated his ears ever so often, feeling the vibrations in the air. He knew it when food came his way. A buzz of high, repetitive sounds meant that his prey was flying and could not be eaten. But small, subtle vibrations near his nose meant food._ Tick, tick, tick._ The sound of walking food.

Food was close and he knew it. Could feel it in his instincts. Holding his muzzle near the ground, he heard it coming, step by step._ Vibration. Vibration._ At the perfect moment, he lapped up the struggling creatures. He couldn't see them but he knew there were many, and there was no point in counting them anyways. The sticky creatures made him feel very, very good. He felt them tickle his tongue and he chewed them up and swallowed. This was food.

This was his heaven.

Suddenly, a foreign smell came to his nose. He froze. Those were not the small things he called prey. Sniffing the air, his nose came in touch with a foreign scent. The vibrations told him everything he needed to know. Always trust the vibrations. He sat down, and remained very still. This new things could be very dangerous. Dangerous things had big vibrations, and he knew it. Chance may have brought him to this place but now chance was going to take it away. No, no, no. The big vibrations were here to take his paradise away.

He didn't even have to listen very carefully, because the invaders of his paradise were very, very noisy. They spoke in hushed voices, but they were louder than his food. This was not nice. They mustn't scare his food away. The voices and vibrations came closer and closer. Their footsteps were not light like his, nor heavier than dangerous things. He had no idea what they were. Such strange dangerous things, he thought. Unknown things were always dangerous.

One voice was louder. It's voice was higher pitched, and it moved faster. He could hear it's gasps of excitement and small sounds of disgust at something. What was the word they used again? Termites? What were termites? Perhaps they were the small food that made buzzes and ticks and tickled his tongue. He tried to remember what his mother had said all those years ago. Maybe these were termites.

The other voice was softer, but still louder than his food. Louder than the termites. He could hear the more careless footsteps, and sounds of delight from this one. Perhaps it was eating the termites too. Nothing else could make anyone more happy, he justified. As he listened and felt his environment-it was a huge environment-he started to feel more and more claustrophobic as the vibrations and voices came closer and closer. This time, unlike what he did with his termites, he counted. Two things, because the vibrations and voices moved together.

They were coming for him. They were going to take his paradise away.

The two things were quiet all of a sudden, and the vibrations were so close he could almost reach out and attack it.

And lash out and attack he did. No, the two things said. Up this way, said the higher voice. He decided he would call it High. He chased the vibrations and bumped his nose into a hard, rough object. No matter. The termites' vibrations told him that this was something he could climb, because they were climbing it too. So he climbed after the two things.

They knew he was coming and he could hear two loud, thumping noises. He remembered his own mother letting him feel this voice before. It was a special noise that had a touch and a rhythm. A heartbeat. The pair of heartbeats in front of him were loud. They cannot escape, he thought. He always knew where they were. Both had stopped moving, and their vibrations stayed on the spot.

Please don't eat us, the one next to High said. He decided that this one should be called Scared. No, he couldn't eat them. Their vibrations were not that of termites. He had to know what they were. He came forward, his nose close enough to touch the very vibrations themselves.

* * *

Kiara and Kovu backed into the walls of the cavern, shaking with fear. A nose pressed into Kiara's chest, prodding and sniffing, then went up to her face. Kiara was about to cry. What was this strange creature that walked on all fours and looked canine-like? Why was he sniffing at her and prodding her with a wet nose?

Kovu, who was looking helplessly at Kiara, felt an instinct that was rooted deep into him rise up, making him shake with fear at this strange creature. He did not know the word for it yet, but this creature resembled something that lions naturally did not get along with at all, except it was smaller in size. The creature was nameless in his head, but his primeval gut feeling filled in the rest. _Hyena_.

* * *

He prodded and sniffed. High was very familiar to him. Yes, he thought, High was a lion. A small lion. He knew from it's unique scent that High was a small female lion. What about Scared? He did the same to him, gaining sobs of fear from High. He decided that Scared was also a small lion, but it was a male. He backed off and asked them what they were doing in his cave.

Nothing, High cried, please let us go.

Why were they so scared of him, he thought. He wasn't speaking unkindly. In fact, maybe he could show them the wonderful things called termites. If the termites could make him happy, the small lions would probably be happy too.

* * *

The hyena-like creature spoke with the slight tone of a madman, his voice low and gruff. Strangely enough, he sniffed at the ground, and suddenly lapped up _t__ermites_ with his tongue.

"What's he doing..." Kiara shivered. Kovu only stared.

The hyena-like creature offered them to her. "Eat."

"Eat?" Kiara wrinkled her nose at the wriggling, squirming creatures on his tongue with disgust. There was no way she was touching that. The hyena-like creature nodded, and Kiara noticed that he always never met her eyes when he spoke, instead staring into space. Now that the creature had proven himself harmless, she decided that it was probably safe to talk to him.

"What are you looking at?" she asked timidly, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Look at the vibrations. The vibrations tell you everything, the voices tell you all you need to know," he didn't even give her a glance. Kovu elbowed Kiara in the ribs.

"Kiara," he whispered, as softly as he could, "I think he can't see us."

"What makes you so sure?" she whispered back. But the creature had heard. His swiveling, large ears could pick up the tiniest of noises.

"I see," he interrupted, "I see vibrations. They never stop. I see you. High and Scared." Kovu's eyebrows shot up.

"We're not high-" he puffed out his chest- "and _definitely_ not scared!" He opened his mouth to roar, but only managed a cat-like _rrrrrraawrl_.

"No, no, don't do that, the voice you have is very loud. My ears, they dislike it," said the creature, flinching visibly. At this, Kiara tried to stifle a giggle. So much for bravery, Kovu, she thought. She dared a step forward, eyes never leaving the creature. And she observed something strange.

"Kovu...Kovu, his eyes are milky," she gasped. Kovu smacked his forehead with his paw.

"He's BLIND, you moron..." he growled under his breath. Kiara was _so_ stupid sometimes. He knew the creature was blind, so that was their chance of escape. The moron just blew it up!

Kiara's face visibly turned sad. She stared at the creature. What a poor creature, she thought, not being able to see. Maybe he was just afraid of us.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't know you couldn't-"

"Let's get out of here you moron!" Kovu cut her short, poising for a running break. Kiara didn't follow his action, and stood there defiantly.

"Kovu, he was just scared of us!" she reasoned, and to her surprise, the creature gave her a huge, sloppy lick on the cheek. Kiara grinned. "See!"

"No! He's not friendly!" Kovu shouted as Kiara introduced herself. Frustrated, scared, and angry at his best friend, Kovu decided that the next best thing to do was run out and scream for help. He ran full tilt at the cavern entrance.

And what luck he had, for he came face to face with an stern looking, huge, golden lion with an auburn mane.

"S-sir!" Kovu stammered.

* * *

Back at Pride Rock, a lioness lazily hung her tail over a cub, letting it swat at the tip on its end.

This young, brown pelted lioness lying down on a rock could not be described as beautiful, but what caught the attention of anybody speaking to her was her eyes. She had beautiful, teal eyes, which held a maturity far deeper than that of any lioness her age. The lioness had gone through a lot during the unison of the two prides and her eyes held sorrow and anger at the conflict that took her immediate family away from her, something that any teenager should never have had to go through. She was one of the casualties from the conflict, not of physicality but of the mind. The pride members however, especially the old Queen before Nala, would not choose to let her harm herself, and many of the lionesses had kept her strong.

The little cub, however, knew nothing of the conflict, and was now playfully trying to jump up and get a bite of the lioness' tail. This cub had a tanned pelt, lighter in shade than that of her mother's, Zira. Her eyes were electric blue, and that came from her ancestry from Zira's own mother, that both her parents did not appear to have. Those striking eyes that held a sense of fire even though the cub was so young came both her parents. Scar was not her true father, but that was something, that Zira decided, to keep from her until she was old enough to understand-or that was what most of the pride thought. Zira could be grumpy and unpredictable, something that kept others from asking questions.

"Hang your tail lower!" the cub mock-snarled, repeatedly snapping at her target and missing. The lioness smiled a rare smile which lit up her face, exposing it's beauty, a smile which could only be brought up by cubs.

"My dear Vitani," she said, "wouldn't that be too easy for you then?"

"Shut up and hang your tail lower, Amali!"

"Uh oh,' the lioness teased, "no one likes a foul-mouthed cub!" This only made the fiery cub snap more viciously.

"Who's the foul-mouthed cub?" a motherly voice spoke up from another rock opposite them. It was an older lioness, lying comfortably with her mate. The light brown pelted lioness rested her head on her paws comfortably, snuggling up to her mate. Her face was aged, but her wrinkles only made her appear even more kinder. Her smile lines were very noticeable now as she watched the two young lionesses play together, her light orange eyes lit up with warmth.

Turning to her mate, anyone involved in the conflict of the two prides could tell who this couple was immediately. The aged lion that lay beside his mate was a dark gold, his auburn mane frayed from age and tipped with grey. Even though he was visibly old, his physique spoke otherwise-he was easily one of the largest lions in the pride. There was no mistaking that this was the royal couple before Simba and Nala. They were Mufasa and Sarabi, the previous rulers of the Pridelands before the prides came together.

Mufasa laughed merrily, his sound of joy a deep boom. "Vitani, go at her!" he encouraged. Vitani took the advice of the older lion literally, and pounced on to Amali, tackling her.

"Hey! Get off!" Amali cried, laughing and mock-fighting with the cub. The old royal couple laughed at the antics of the young ones.

"It reminds me so much of Simba when he was just a little cub," Sarabi said, reminiscing.

"The good old days," Mufasa agreed, gently pressing his forehead against hers. Simba had grown up so fast, he thought. Oh, what he would give to have a little Simba running around again. But he was very proud of his son in every way. Simba played a crucial part in what everyone now called the Unison, and brought the two prides together with the help of Nala. Mufasa would never forget that. Just that father and son used to play with each other, and how Simba would snuggle up to him at night, small and well-behaved. Not all the time, but there were times where he was a lovely cub-

"Ah, here's your son," Sarabi interrupted his thoughts.

"You mean _our_ son," Mufasa winked at her and smiled, getting up to greet him. "Simba, you're back early." Simba, however, did not return his father's smile.

"Yes Father," he turned around and glared daggers at the two cubs who were hanging their heads in shame behind himself, "and two very special cubs are going to explain _why_."

Zira, who was basking on a rock with a few other lionesses, immediately came down to meet her son.

"Where have you _been_?" she snarled at Kovu.

Both parents showed their concern in visibly different ways. Simba was just angry, but Zira seemed _threatening_. Kovu immediately cowered behind Simba.

"M-mother! I was-"

"Silence!" Zira snapped.

"Zira," Simba cut in gently, "let him finish what he wants to say." Zira did not take kindly to this.

"Be quiet, _Your Royal Highness_. Who gave you the right to discipline my son?"

"Zira!" Simba retorted, losing his patience. Zira rudely shoved pass him and picked Kovu up roughly by his midriff, causing him to wince at the slight sensation of pain that came with his mother's teeth.

"Zira!" Simba nearly roared this time, "let him explain himself!" Zira stopped in her tracks, putting down Kovu none too gently.

"Do not tell me what to do." Zira spoke, her words heavy, voice low and dripping with venom. She turned to Vitani, who had stopped playing with Amali, and was staring at her and Simba. "Stop playing and get down here, Vitani." Vitani quietly obeyed, quickly catching up with her mother who had grabbed Kovu and was stalking away from the scene. The previously serene and jolly mood of the scene had completely vanished. Simba turned to his daughter angrily.

"Look at all this things you have-"

"Simba," Mufasa stepped between them, "it is not Kiara's fault."

"Father, I-"

"Why don't you go cool off your head, and leave Kiara with us first?" Sarabi interjected helpfully.

"Mom, this is-"

"This is very important. I know, son. A King needs a calm temper to solve problems," Mufasa finished Simba's sentence. Simba sighed. His parents were right.

"Kiara, I'll have a talk with you later," he said, looking at the cub, who lost her look of relief immediately.

"Don't worry Kiara, your father is actually a big, soft lion at heart," Mufasa whispered loudly to Kiara on purpose.

"_Father_!" Simba rolled his eyes, but couldn't help breaking into a smile.

**Didn't you love it when you were young and ran to your grandparents when you were scolded by your parents? Wish mine were still around. Heheh.**

**Anyways, the first segment was an insight into the mind of the character that I have let loose into the abandoned cavern. What do you guys think of him? Thank you to _Emerald dreamer96_ for the indirect inspiration! Also, I wanted to show off the cubs here. Kiara as a cub is happy, curious and naïve, and Kovu-I think he is more cautious, clever, but a show-off. Yes, Vitani is introduced! Love her a lot myself and felt that she was neglected. She needs more love, Disney!**

**And MUFASA is here. *play epic entrance music* Make way for da King, bros! Bottoms up everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm finally legal! Happy Birthday to me! Hahaha. Turned 18 yesterday...at least in my part of the world.**

**My dear readers and reviewers, followers and favouriters, I really can't describe how happy I am from the response. If you are reading this, do drop me a review. Was this story cool, or was it the worst thing you've ever read? Do tell me what you think. I'll love to hear them and appreciate them will all my heart.**

**_Guest_: Yes, I love Simba personally too :) He got a HUGE makeover in TLKII...I enjoyed him more in the original. Thanks for the review! Do review with an account if you can, so I can give you a proper response. It's free to create an account here and I would love it if I could reply you fully!**

**In this chapter, we'll be finding out who - or rather what - the hyena-like creature is. Random topic but I've realized my hyphens in between pauses - like this - have to space out for less confusion. A few people have asked me about Scar...fear not, people! _Be_ _prepared_ for him! _*epic cloud of green tinted sulphur erupts out of geyser*_**

**The awesome cast and everything else in the Lion King belongs to Disney. Amali belongs to _Vulaan Kulaas._ All other OCs are mine.**

* * *

Zira stalked into the left wing of the huge Pride Rock den, with Vitani tagging along and Kovu dangling from her mouth. Compared to the African heat which sizzled the whole of the Pridelands that was exposed to it in the day, the den in Pride Rock was a comfort to paws that had walked the sun-baked ground. The temperature here was considerably cooler, but that did not seem to cool the angry lioness down. Once she approached a slim brown lion in a part of the den, she dropped Kovu in front of him.

"Take a look at your son!" she spat, exasperated.

"Ah my dear, dear Zira-" the lion spoke with a smooth, deep voice, not weathered from age.

"Don't you _Zira_ me!"

"Oh, my sweet, sweet Zira," the lion cooed. His voice was full of honey but Zira quickly cut through it viciously.

"Scar! Your son has been misbehaving!"

"My dear. Come, take a seat next to me and tell me everything." When Zira was sitted next to him, eyes glaring daggers, he continued. "Firstly, Zira, I only _see_ Kovu as a son. He is your responsibility for now, hmm?" Zira nearly snarled at him.

"You said he was your _heir_!"

"A heir doesn't have to be a son, does he?" Scar lifted his left eyebrow, the one which his said name was derived from. _The Scarred One_ of the kingdom. He had an infamous history with his own family before and during the Unison.

"Oh," he said, waving a paw towards Kovu and Vitani, "you are dismissed." The cubs gladly ran off. Zira glared at him, annoyed at his nonchalance.

"Will that be all?" Scar asked, "Or do you have _something_ for me, my dear?" His black, slicked mane was greying, but that didn't stop him from being any less attractive. Sure he was old, but he aged like wine. The older he got, the better he grew. Kovu shared some of his looks, but he was only chosen as a heir because he reminded the old lion a lot about himself as a cub. Now that Simba and Nala had the throne, Kovu's position as heir to the throne was gone, but now as long as Kovu could marry Kiara, Scar knew that the throne would be theirs soon, in a way. Nearly the same brown fur, nearly the same striking green eyes. Any lion would believe that Kovu was actually his true son. Those green eyes of the old lion stared naughtily at Zira, and Zira pushed him away.

"I knew you wanted _something_ _else_," Scar purred.

"You disgusting old lion," Zira said, but Scar had peeled off her outer layer of hostility. He truly knew how to charm a lady, Zira thought, meeting his eyes.

"Why don't we take this to our special place?" Scar's voice held a hint of something that attracted Zira. Her hostility was completely gone from her face now.

"Ah my dear Scar," she replied in a tone that equaled his, "let's." The pair strolled out of the den, tails entwined.

* * *

Kiara sat with her grandparents, relieved that Simba had let her off the hook for now. Mufasa and Sarabi were two of the best people in the world to her, and they doted on her like any pair of grandparents would. Kiara gave a huge, toothy grin to the both of them, hoping that they would let her off for now as well. However, they looked unimpressed.

"Kiara," Sarabi said, "you know you did something wrong."

"Yes Grandma. I'm sorry," she bowed her head in shame again. Mufasa softened slightly at this. She looked so much like Simba when she did that, he thought.

"What happened, Kiara?" he asked her sternly, but not fiercely.

"Umm, Kovu and I broke the rules," she extended her claws and retracted them, finding them interesting suddenly.

"How did you break them?" Mufasa prompted.

"Well, Kovu and I sneaked past Daddy when he was on patrol."

"You sneaked past him and he didn't even _see_ you?" Amali, who was still perched on top of her spot when Vitani ran off with Zira, interrupted, with a tone that was almost praising. Kiara nodded, grinning at her.

"Amali," Mufasa commanded firmly, "do not encourage her." This made the teenage lion sigh, and she went back to being quiet.

"Now Kiara dear, I believe you owe your father an apology later," Sarabi reprimanded.

"Yes, Grandma," Kiara nodded solemnly, her cheeky smile wiped off.

"We'll be off now. Behave yourself, Kiara," Mufasa said, "and stay at Pride Rock." When her grandparents started walking off for their daily stroll of the Pridelands together, Amali called out to Kiara.

"Come here, Princess." Kiara sat there, angrily refusing to move.

"Don't call me Princess."

"Oh so you're a spoilt brat now?" Amali said. "Come up here or I'll come down and get you." Kiara still refused to move. Amali hopped off her perch.

"What's wrong?" she asked. She was almost like an older sister to the Princess, who was the only cub of Simba and Nala. Amali was mostly left with the duties of taking care of the cubs in the Pride because she wasn't old enough to join in the hunt yet. She was perfectly fine with that. The cubs always brought cheer to the lioness, who almost always wore a mask of hostility and indifference to anyone not close to her.

"Amali, I...I don't want to be a Princess." Kiara rushed the last part of her sentence, hoping that Amali would not catch what she was saying. But she did.

"Why not? Look, everyone here loves you! You're lucky to be born as Princess." Amali wanted to add how lucky Kiara was to be born after the Unison, but she decided not to. The cub shouldn't know about such things at such a tender and innocent age.

"A Princess doesn't get to do everything she wants..."

"Yes she does."

"No, she does _not_! That's not what Daddy says!"

"So what did your daddy say then?" Amali asked, but Kiara had clammed up angrily. She sighed. "Kiara, you know you can talk to me. Why don't you tell me what happened from the start? Don't ignore me."

Kiara looked up at her, and this prompted her to continue. "If you tell me, I promise that this is between the both of us."

"You promise?" The little cub asked, her eyes wide.

"I swear it on the Great Kings of the Past that if I break it, I will be struck down by lightning." The older lioness smirked. This made Kiara laugh.

"Alright."

* * *

In a cavern in the Outlands there lived an aardwolf. Not a nasty, dirty wet cavern filled with the remains of decay and a rotting smell, nor a comfortable, dry, cosy cavern filled with warmth and scents of grasses; it was a termite mound, gigantic and sun-baked until it was as hard as rock, and that means comfort.

To the aardwolf, at least. This was where he, Kipofu the aardwolf, made his home.

Kipofu was born an aardwolf and would always love to eat termites. They were an aardwolf's staple diet. Of course, Kiara did not know that, and this was how she narrated her story instead.

Kovu and herself were so happy from sneaking past Simba, and they decided to explore the cavern. Of course, they never expected it to be occupied by Kipofu, a seemingly insane hyena lookalike who turned out to be a pretty friendly, blind aardwolf. He meant no harm to the cubs, and only chased and tried to attack them because he was scared, Kiara told her friend. Maybe their loud screams at first alerted Simba to the cavern, but before that, Kipofu was so friendly and had given her a lick. This made Kiara so happy. Kovu was a scaredy-cub, she said, why couldn't he see that this creature was not going to harm them?

She told Kipofu her name and he told her his, albeit after some prompting. Seconds after the two had exchanged names, Kovu had stammered something which made her look up. It was Simba.

Daddy was so angry, she said. Simba had never looked angrier and scarier as he roared at Kipofu and charged forward, who immediately darted off as if he had perfect eyesight, scampering into the darkest corners of the cavern. Simba's instincts had identified him as a threat to the cubs. _Hyena_. It was an unfortunate misunderstanding, because Kipofu was pretty harmless, but looked like a hyena, the old enemy of the lion since their ancestors had first met.

It was not fair, Kipofu is a friend, Kiara said. After Simba caught his breath, he angrily led her and her best friend out of the caverns and back into the safety of Prideland territory. He lectured them both on breaking the rules and sneaking past him. They hadn't even asked permission. They could have been killed! To Kiara, he said that he felt disappointed in her. She was a Princess of the Pridelands, and had to take his place in the Circle of Life in the future. Being a Princess was not about doing everything she wants and getting her way all the time. Kiara had to understand this. But instead, she took it the other way, and angrily protested about her unwillingness to rule as royalty in the future.

Simba roared at her, telling her not to talk back and say such things when she had already done the wrong thing by leaving the Pridelands without the permission of a pride member. Kiara only tried to hold back from crying when they walked towards Pride Rock.

It was totally unfair.

* * *

Amali looked sadly at the cub. Yes, it was unfair to rip a budding friendship apart that way.

"Your daddy's just worried for you," Amali tried to make Kiara see things through Simba's eyes. But Kiara was still too young to understand.

"I know, but he was so fierce at Kipofu for doing nothing!"

Amali couldn't tell what Kipofu was from Kiara's story because she could not describe him as an aardwolf. Neither of the pair had met or known one until today, and the confusion that followed did not give time for questions, much less a friendly conversation. She thought awhile, but couldn't come up with a suitable answer, so she sighed at the cub.

"Well, Kiara. It's nearly dinnertime. Times like these, you'll be glad you're a lion! Princesses don't get eaten by antelopes." Amali tried cheering her up.

"I still don't want to be one."

"Then you're an antelope and this lioness wants a bite out of your ass!" Amali leaped up playfully at Kiara, chasing her towards the eating areas.

"No!" Kiara exclaimed, and ran off, the older lioness on her tail. She charged into a group of pride members who were already tearing at the meat, and spotted Nala.

"Mom!" She cried, "Amali's gonna eat me!"

Nala laughed as the two ran up to her and circled once around her, before Kiara darted into the safety of her mother's paws.

"Hah!" Kiara blew a raspberry at Amali, "Too late! I touched base and you can't catch me now!" Amali, however, just rolled her eyes and smiled sheepishly, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. Some of the lionesses were giving her looks of surprise, especially Sarabi. The usually frowning lioness was actually smiling and _playing_. Now that was rare. Nala smiled and nudged her child towards the antelope.

"Eat up, dear." Kiara, hungry and tired from the day, immediately tucked into her dinner. A feast of antelope. Kovu and his sister came up beside her, tearing off small chunks of meat.

"Hey Kiara." Kovu greeted her.

"Kovu!" She greeted cheerfully - then suddenly remembered that he was the one who had got the both of them into trouble in the first place. "You got us into trouble," she continued, not too happily.

"Sorry Kiara. I didn't mean to-" he took a glance at Nala to make sure she wasn't listening in - "bring us into that dangerous place." He added softly.

"Okay..."

"Are we friends now?"

"Friends." Kiara beamed.

"Are you two going to stand there flirting all day?" Vitani asked, taking a large bite where Kovu last bit off the antelope. Kiara and Kovu looked at each other, and laughed, joining the feast with Vitani and the others.

* * *

Not long after dinner came a sunset as magnificent as the sunrise itself, followed quickly by the cloak of night. Tonight, the full moon illuminated the whole night sky, accompanied by the millions of stars, like jewels on a smooth, dark blue curtain. The grass and the ground reflected the moonlight, turning the savannah into a silver landscape. It was anything but quiet, but it was peaceful. The night brought around unique noises, some exclusive to the darkness. Crickets and cicadas played their tunes, and the creatures of the night sang a whole different song from those of the day.

When the sun had nearly finished its grand descent into the horizon, Simba had approached Kiara, telling her that they needed to talk. Father and daughter sat under the canopy of stars, both staring into the eternity above that held the stars in place. Neither one of them spoke for awhile, but Simba broke the silence between them.

"Kiara. Look at the stars above us. Aren't they beautiful?"

"Yes, Daddy, they are..."

"Legends say that the Great Kings of the Past are up there in the stars, guiding us when we lose our way. Those were once great Kings, and when they die, they go up there."

"Daddy, how about the other animals? The ones that we eat?" Kiara asked, catching Simba by surprise.

"That's a good question. Umm..."

"Mom says that we must thank the antelope because it is part of the Circle of Life."

"That is-"

"And how about the Queens? Do they go up as stars when they die?"

"Kiara," Simba cleared his throat, "yes, every living thing in the Circle goes to the stars when their spirits leave here." The concept of spirits was not a new thing to anything in the Pridelands. It was an idea that had guided them for a long time. Kiara nodded, satisfied with her father's answer. Simba hugged Kiara close.

"Do you know why I was so mad at you today?" he asked. Kiara looked up at him, and he continued. "I was so worried about you. You could have been badly hurt!"

Kiara sighed. "I'm sorry Daddy. But he was my friend..."

Simba sighed. "You may be friends now, but you did the wrong thing by leaving the Pridelands without permission. That's why I'm angry, Kiara. I was afraid. I don't want to lose you. You're my daughter and the future Queen of the Pridelands."

Kiara looked sad. "Daddy, what if I don't want to be Queen?" The same question had been asked that very morning. However, Simba gave a different response this time.

"Kiara, it's in your blood...it's who you _are_. If you aren't Queen, who else would be? You're my daughter and you would have to take my place one day. It's written in the stars. And remember that if you lose your way, I'm always here."

"You'll always be there? Like the stars?" Kiara showed the hint of a smile.

"Yes, my little Kiara. I'm always here. I promise." he nuzzled Kiara. "We are One." A gentle breeze blew as if on cue, sending a curious scent of sweetness their way. Kiara closed her eyes and inhaled. Flowers, she guessed. When she opened her eyes, she was pleasantly greeted by floating, dancing stars all around her.

"Daddy, look! The stars are flying!" she gasped in amazement. Simba raised his head and looked around him. Sure enough, the lights twinkled, but they twisted and circled and danced unlike any star in the night sky.

"Fireflies," he smiled. "Shh, Kiara, they will stay if we speak softly." The fireflies gave off soft glows, flitting on the winds. It was truly a magical sight to behold. Both of them watched the fireflies quietly for awhile, until Kiara got sleepy. Simba sang a soft lullaby to her, one that was familiar to the pride. His voice was as smooth and as soft as the breeze that blew on the reeds around them.

"_We are One_  
_You and I_  
_We are like the Earth and sky_  
_One family under the sun_

_All the wisdom to lead_  
_All the courage that you need_  
_You will find, when you see_  
_We are One._

Goodnight, Kiara." He whispered to her sleeping form, comfortably snuggled against him as the fireflies floated around them.

**I love sweet parent-child moments. *sniff* I wonder if anyone found this cheesy. Heh.**

**Anyone noticed the little reference to something well-known in the segment when Kipofu's home in the Outlands was described (just the first paragraphs)? Virtual cookie and a shout-out for anyone who gets it right in the next chapter! Oh and aardwolves are awesome creatures that I found when I asked the internet what African animal feeds on termites. Do check them out if you have a chance. They're pretty unique creatures that are native to Africa and feast on termites.**

**Ever been in the wilderness at night with only the moon to light your way? It's magical, and that factor is what I tried to capture for the night scene. If only where I was had more wilderness and stars! And I hope to see fireflies myself one day.**

**Oh and this happy pride has been going on for far too long. Action will start on the next chapter, I hope! Also, school has started for me, and my apologies for any updates that may take long in the course of this story due to my business. I've even resorted to drafting the story on my sketchbook! Well, till the next chapter then. Cheers!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: My dear readers, thank you for sticking here all the way to Chapter 5! I know it may have been a little slow for a while, but the pace may pick up a little in this chapter. I'd really love it if you could take the time and tell me what you think. If you're a follower or have chanced upon this at random, do feel free to drop a comment or a review on here.**

**The previous chapter hasn't received much response…was it me, or did the chapter hold too little content worth reviewing…? Come on guys! Reviews make any author happy and I'm no exception. Hahaha. The reference to Kipofu's Outlands home was actually from _The Hobbit _by _J.R.R Tolkien, _when he describes Bilbo's hobbit hole.**

**_Guest: _Thank you very much! Glad to hear that I've captured the night scenery very well. I myself love the nights in the wilderness too. Oh yeah, glad you didn't find the scenes cheesy! Yup, we all know what _could _happen…**

**The Lion King is made by the people who played a part in my childhood. ;) All other OCs in this chapter belong to me.**

* * *

"Oh Zira, these _Pridelanders _have poisoned your mind!"

The next day, refreshed and energized from their feast the previous night, Zira and two other lionesses took a patrol around the Pridelands in the afternoon. The lioness who spoke was known as Subira, and she was Zira's younger sister, coming into the Pridelands with her during the Unison. Deemed prettier than Zira by the lions themselves, she wore a pelt of dark gold and her eyes shone like rubies. She loved the lands – they were better than the old termite mounds in the Outlands – but personally, she did not like its inhabitants, which she deemed arrogant. And occasionally too fat for her liking, for times when she was feeling sharp-mouthed. Pampered and spoiled, the lions from the Pridelands couldn't hold a candle to the Outlanders in a fight, she thought.

"What do you mean by _that_, Subira?" Zira asked, not too friendly.

"You know what I mean, don't you, my sister?"

This stopped Zira in her tracks, and she turned and glared at her sister. "Save the drama. What do you want?"

"Oh, aren't you an ignorant one," Subira laughed, a tinkling, lovely sound – if it weren't sarcastic. She turned to the third lioness that was walking beside her. "Tell her, Ukimya."

The third of the trio, a shy-eyed, straw coloured lioness looked up timidly at Zira, avoiding her glare. Like the other two, she came from the Outlands, and had all the features that defined her as one, such as her anchor shaped nose and a more slimmer and angular body structure. However, because of her quiet nature and aversion to battles, she lacked the battle scars that both Zira and Subira had.

"Umm…" she started, her every word cautious and calculative, "Zira, you're turning soft."

"Soft?!"

Ukimya flinched, and slowly nodded her head. Subira stepped in, her nose arrogantly held high. "Have you forgotten, Zira? Forgotten that we mentioned that the Pridelands truly belonged to us, the ones who are more capable of ruling a place, back in the days before the conflict? Because of _you_, the Pridelands will never belong truly to us, the greater race."

"And why wouldn't it be _ours_, Subira?"

"You _know _why, Zira. Do you think us lionesses blind? That we cannot see what went on last evening with you and Scar? Oh my dear sister, you should let your mind control you, not let your…_instincts _be the master."

Zira gasped, shocked, but the slight gape of her mouth was quickly replaced by a curled lip. "What do instincts have to do with this!"

"Don't behave like one of _them_, Zira. You know Scar was once a Pridelander – oh, those lazy cats – and he only chose your bastard son Kovu as heir because-"

Zira raised her paw and slapped Subira hard across her cheek, enough to make the younger lioness reeling to the side.

"DO NOT use that tone with me, Subira!"

Subira placed a paw to her smarting cheek, and smiled a sly smile. "You were always the violent one. I merely chose to make _casual _conversation, you know. I may never know why Scar would choose to take pity on you."

Her sister mentioning the very word of _pity_ flared up the fire in Zira's crimson eyes. Zira had a tragic past with her previous mate – he had gone to the Great Kings before his time, called to join the stars because of Fate's cruel hand. Then came Scar, the dark, handsome lion, charming her with his manner and smooth talk, and by Fate's dealings again, Kovu became the supposed heir to the throne, until the Unison, when the throne was taken by Simba and Nala.

"I do not need anyone's pity! Not Scar's and especially not _yours_!" Zira roared at her younger sister, who was enjoying Zira's demise. Since young, the two had a sibling rivalry, which turned more unhealthy the older they grew.

Ukimya looked at both the sisters, staying silent all the way. Why couldn't both of them just get along with each other? She had to admit, she was a little terrified at both of them – Zira, for her ferocity that could match that of an angry water buffalo when provoked, and Subira, for her sharp, sly tongue. Oh dear, she thought, I might as well leave while they don't notice me. As silently as the fish that swam in the waterhole, Ukimya inched away. Meanwhile, the argument continued.

"Prove it. Prove that you do not need pity from any Pridelander! Prove it to me, Zira...or have you forgotten that we once agreed in the wastelands that the Pridelands being under us, the true rulers?"

"These lands will never be taken fully from us! We, the true rulers, shall take our rightful share of what belongs to us!" Zira roared. Subira smiled at Zira's rise to her challenge. You see, bad tempered lionesses were easy to manipulate, she thought.

"And what is _our rightful share?_"

"_All of it."_

* * *

After all that had happened yesterday at the Outlands, Nala had heard the news from Simba. She did not let Kiara off so easily like Simba or her grandparents did, and chose to ground her. The rules were: she wasn't allowed to leave Pride Rock for three days, and she could only speak to Kovu if he was around. Which, for most part, he wasn't, and Kiara was left, sulking on the promontory or the den.

Today, Nala had finished her round of patrols, and was lying down behind Kiara, who was staring miserably into the distance on the promontory.

"Kiara, don't just sit there. Go talk to the other lionesses," Nala encouraged.

"It's no fun."

Nala sighed, a wave of familiarity drifting towards her. Kiara was almost similar to her in the past – when she couldn't meet Simba, she had felt the same. He was her best friend then, and when she was unable to meet and play with him she felt terrible. But Kiara had to know that this was a punishment for something wrong.

"You and Kovu together are a pair of troublemakers, you know that?"

"Mom! We're not troublemakers! And it's not fair. I get grounded while Kovu gets to run all over the Pridelands!"

"Kovu is not a Princess, my dear. A Princess like you should behave yourself!"

"It's not fair!" Kiara cried, and ran past her mother into the den. Nala sighed again, cupping her head in her paws. Did she spoil her daughter too much? Maybe it was Simba's fault. I'll have to talk to him again, she thought.

* * *

Meanwhile out in the blazing savannah, Kovu was standing together with his two siblings on a rock plateau. One of the siblings was Vitani, his ever fiery sister, and the other was a teenage lion, his fur a brown-gray and slightly unkempt. The teenager appeared bored, and was staring at the other two while scratching at himself absently with his hind leg.

"Alright, everyone draw a blade of grass," Vitani's front paw pinned three blades of grass to the ground. Whoever drew the shortest blade would be deemed 'it', and she cleverly placed them under her paw so that they stuck out at an equal length.

Kovu and his older brother reached for the grass at the same time, and their paws touched on to the same blade. Both turned at each other – and the older one swatted the younger one away, not too kindly.

"I'm older and bigger than you, so I get this one!" The teenager said arrogantly, snatching the straw from under his sister's paw.

"Oh come on Nuka. Stop being a stupid lion," Vitani groaned and shook her head, her tuft of a fringe swaying, "your turn, Kovu. Draw one."

After all three of them drew their straws of grass, they compared the lengths. And what luck, Nuka, the pushy teenage lion, got the shortest one.

"Hah! You're IT!" Both of the younger cubs cried, laughing at him. He groaned.

"Count to one hundred, and no cheating!" Vitani smirked, then started running off with Kovu. Nuka, feeling even more unenthusiastic now that he was supposed to seek out the cubs, turned around and started counting.

"One, two, three, four," he rolled his eyes, "this is slow. Five…" he counted up to the number ten, and then decided that it was enough. "Puh. Those termites won't know their numbers anyway," he said, scratching at himself with his hind leg again. It was a habit that he couldn't seem to drop, especially since he had a termite infestation in his fur when he was younger. When he had come into the Pridelands, the cleaner conditions had gradually rid him of his parasites, but not of his scratching habits. It made his fur quite scruffy and gave it a messy look.

"This is so _boring_," he grumbled to himself, and stretched himself out on the plateau, lazing like any lion would on a hot day. The sun made him tired, and hide-and-seek was a pretty stupid game anyway. I'll just leave those termites alone for a while, he thought, lazily sprawled out.

In the distance, Kovu and Vitani ran in their separate directions, both cleverly choosing locations that were far apart from each other, but enough for them to spot one another and keep a lookout for their older brother and signal to each other if they spotted him coming.

He may be older and bigger, but his brains are not as good as mine, Kovu chuckled to himself, picking the hollow interior of a fallen log as his hiding spot. From the close end of the log, he could see his sister blend into the long grasses like a lioness on a hunt, her light fur giving her an advantage. She's good, he thought, like a hunter. He wished he was as good a hunter as her. Vitani could catch small prey like field mice, which was pretty good for someone her age.

The pair waited.

And waited.

And _waited._

But Nuka didn't come. That's strange, thought Kovu. Surely Nuka wasn't taking so long?

He's slow, thought Vitani, but Nuka couldn't be that stupid to lose his way around this part of the Pridelands, could he? She made her way slowly to Kovu, her stomach close to the ground.

"Kovu," she whispered. Kovu jumped at her voice and knocked his head on the top of the log interior.

"Oww!" he yelped, more out of surprise than pain, and turned around. "Oh. Vitani. What's up?"

"Nuka doesn't seem to be here."

"Heh," Kovu chuckled, "seems like we're going to be 'it' now, huh?"

Vitani laughed and punched her brother on the shoulder.

"Let's wait awhile more."

Awhile more seemed like another eternity. The cubs couldn't stand hiding there in the damp log for so long.

"I'm going to look for that stupid lion," Vitani stood up.

"Hold on, what about me?"

"Go look in that direction," she pointed, "and I'll go there," she pointed in a second direction. Kovu nodded, and started off. A lion on a mission, he grinned to himself. He was sure Vitani would snap off Nuka's ears after she found him. That would be quite a funny sight to behold.

He was not one to get lost like his best friend Kiara, he thought proudly as he travelled further away from Pride Rock. Kiara might claim to be a big cub but he was always the smarter one. Oh, she's just like Nuka, claiming to be big but having a pea-brain. The thought unconsciously stuck a funny grin on his face. If only Kiara could come out and play.

Vitani, on the other hand, was thoroughly looking for her older brother. Once she saw him she would snap off his ears after she found him. That'll teach him to be a lousy seeker, she snickered. Oh, that'll really teach him-

A sound in the distance startled her, and she instinctively crouched, body to the ground and ears flattening. She stayed very still, waiting for the animal that had made that strange sound to pass. However, to her dismay, she heard the creatures coming closer and closer. Vitani froze and stilled her breathing.

The sounds, she figured, sounded like laughter, and one was especially loud. The laughs sounded happy but they gave her a huge feeling of discomfort in the pit of her stomach. They don't see me they don't see me they-

Vitani screamed when something picked her up by the back of her neck.

"Oh boys, _what do we have here?_" a low female voice full of malicious glee said to her companions, and all of a sudden Vitani was tossed aside on to the grass. She took a quick glance at these animals, and found that there were three of them. Brown, speckled with dots, evil looking eyes and canine-like, the three of them were _hyenas_, the nightmare of any lion cub. Vitani could not put a name to them but she knew she had to run. She shot off like a bullet, but in her haste, she accidentally tripped on a tree root. Whipping her head around, she saw the trio advance towards her, surrounding her. One of them, a muscular male who had a darker rim of fur around his mouth, leant down close to her. His breath smelt like a rotting animal.

"Hey, why're you still _lion _around?" The hyena's pun caused the other two to howl in laughter. Vitani seized the chance and raked her claws across his muzzle as hard as she could. The hyena yelped and jerked his head backwards, putting a paw to his small wound which was oozing blood. Another hyena, a crazed looking one with eyes that did not quite look the right way, started laughing hysterically.

"That wasn't very nice," he snarled, taking his paw off his face and pinning the cub down. Vitani squirmed and struggled and tried to bite at him, but failed to reach him. The crazy hyena's laughter still did not cease.

"_Shut up, Ed!" _The two other hyenas barked at him, and the crazy hyena stopped laughing; only to start making throaty giggles and chuckles occasionally. The cub was still determined to struggle away.

"Let me go!" she cried, trying her best to sound ferocious like her mother. This made the hyenas tilt their heads at each other – well at least two of the sane ones – in surprised. But not at the supposed ferocity in the cub's voice.

"Time out, time out!" the female hyena spoke up, her voice sounding every bit the leader of the trio. She had a longer mane and some of it in the front hung down like bangs over her forehead. She flicked at Vitani's fur tuft that was on top of said cub's head curiously.

"You're a _girl_? I thought only guy lions had this!" she exclaimed, still flicking at Vitani's bangs. "What do you think, Banzai?"

"I think it's a girl lion, Shenzi," the muscular male looked deep in thought as he held down the cub. Vitani snarled at them, showing her teeth.

"I thought only males had manes but here you are," she snapped at Shenzi. This caused the other two, Banzai – and what was his name – Ed to explode into bouts of laughter. The laughter only seemed to anger the female hyena, and she growled angrily at Vitani, leaning down close to her.

"Listen here, you sassy little brat –" Shenzi started, but was suddenly tackled by a small, brown flash of fur. This startled Banzai and his paw loosened for just a slight moment, enough for Vitani to escape.

"_Don't touch my sister!"_ Kovu roared, surprising not only the hyenas but Vitani as well. Since when did her brother get so brave, she thought, but only for a second. The hyena trio started circling around them.

"Ooh, a _one-for-one deal!_" Banzai said menacingly, glad that they had the cubs surrounded. Vitani, now free from his grip, hissed at him and crouched into a fighting stance, ready to take him on if she had to. Kovu roared his cub roar – a _rwaaaarrrl_ that he had used in the Outlands when he was with Kiara and trying to scare off Kipofu.

"What was that?" Banzai asked, a tinge of a laugh in his voice.

_Rwaaaarrrl!_

As expected, it sent the hyenas laughing hard. His sister narrowed her eyes. These creatures laugh at everything, she thought.

"Woah, do it again, do it again!" Shenzi howled. Ed was laughing maniacally, his tongue lolling out and his eyes mad as a March hare. Kovu opened his mouth to roar again.

_RRRRAAAWGH! _A terrifying roar shook the air, and out of the brush leaped Zira with all the fury of a mother lioness protecting her children, catching and clawing at the fleeing trio of hyenas. Very fortunately, she and Subira happened to be close to this area. When she had them under her paws, she roared at their faces, causing them to squirm under her grip. The hyenas giggled nervously.

"Oh Ma'am! We weren't doing anything! Right, Banzai?" Shenzi spoke quickly, badly wanting to escape.

"Yeah, yeah! We weren't going to have lunch or anything!" Banzai immediately shook his head.

Both of the hyenas grinned nervously, looking at their third companion. _"Ed?"_

Ed laughed, nodding his head furiously. Zira roared at all three of them, causing them to flinch.

"_IDIOTS! GIVE ME ONE REASON WHY I SHOULD NOT TEAR YOU APART!"_

At this moment, another lioness appeared, gathering the two lion cubs under her paw. It was Subira, and she turned fiercely to the hyenas.

Zira was snarling and hissing at the hyenas, and secretly, she was enjoying her moment. Three hyenas under her paw. She had such _power._ So much control.

"_What are you doing in these lands?_"

"We're sorry! We're sorry! Please let us off we'll do anything for you-"

Subira's head perked up. _"Anything?"_

"Yes, anything!" Banzai cried, desperate. The lioness above him looked ready to tear him apart at any moment. Subira stood up, placing the pair of cubs behind her and stalking towards the trio. She smiled slyly at the hyenas, and put a clawed paw under Banzai's chin, making him look into her eyes.

"Interesting," she said, "three hyenas in the Pridelands. Is Simba not doing his job well? Zira, my sister, what did I say about Pridelanders being lazy, hmm?"

Zira spat angrily at the hyenas. "You will pay for doing this!"

Subira nodded, her eyes still locked on Banzai. "Your payment shall be your _life._" This made the hyenas beg for mercy. Even Ed had lost his laughter and was whimpering at the sight of the two sisters.

"Oh, you poor mutts," Subira cooed, fake sympathy in her voice, "I didn't mean pay with your _lives_. I meant to say that you three are now under me. Under my every beck and call. Fail to do that, and you will be paying with _interest_." She lifted her front paw, wiggling her sharp claws. Zira turned at her.

"Subira! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Seizing an opportunity," she smirked, turning to the trio. "Pleasure doing business with you."

**Did I capture everyone's personalities well? Ooh, I've discovered that writing the villains are as fun as writing about the kids – or cubs – at play in the Pridelands. I personally liked the idea of Zira having a sister that was just as evil. More evil, more drama. The more the merrier! What do you guys think?**

**Do drop me a review! See you on the next chapter. Cheers.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Forgive me for the slightly long wait! Due to schoolwork getting heavier, I cannot update as often. But thank you all for the positive response on the previous chapter! It really encouraged me. All you guys are awesome!**

**Anyways, in this new chapter, a character named Amaani would be introduced. Do take note though, she is not Amali…I've added an extra 'a' to the original name so as to lessen the confusion. And Sarafina lovers…I love Sarafina too. *wink* She's introduced here too! Let us meet Nala's mother and young siblings in this chapter. I hope I'm not overloading you with too many characters at this moment.**

**Disney owns this awesome movie and everything else. I own my OCs.**

* * *

The gray-brown teenage lion cowered under his mother's scolding.

Nuka had been found comfortably snoozing on the plateau after his brother and sister had been rescued by their mother and his aunt, and she was _not _happy with him at all. In fact, she was _furious. _Knocking him on the head hard, she gave him a rude awakening and started shouting at him.

"I leave you to take care of them, and you _fell asleep_!"

Nuka looked stunned, his last clouds of drowsiness clearing off. "Sorry Mother…"

"You're _SORRY? Kovu and Vitani were nearly KILLED!" _

"_Killed? _Killed by what?" Nuka, despite his bullying attitude towards his siblings, did feel concern for them, and was apparently shocked by this. Zira, as expected, raised her paw and nearly slapped him across the face, but Subira stepped in smoothly without missing a beat.

"Oh Nuka, due to your irresponsibility…both of your young, innocent siblings could have been killed by _hyenas_. Now no one wants a mess of things, hmm?" She rose threateningly at him. "One weak link in the pride can cause a great deal of damage."

"I-I'm sorry…I didn't mean to-"

"Oh of course, no one ever takes responsibility for their actions, especially weak creatures. Stand up and be a lion, Nuka." Subira turned to leave. "You can take care of him, Zira. Come, my dear niece and nephew," she beckoned to Kovu and Vitani, leading them back to Pride Rock. Nuka shuddered, turning towards the flaming eyes of his mother. If he learnt anything, it was to _never _get on her bad side.

* * *

"Kovu!" Kiara jumped up happily at the sight of her friend returning to Pride Rock, immediately running into him and nearly knocking him down. Vitani rolled her eyes at the pair, slightly unhappy that she was being ignored.

"Oh, _hello to you too Kiara_," she said sarcastically. Kiara blushed. "Sorry Vitani. Hi," she grinned sheepishly. Kovu laughed.

"Aren't we all a little jumpy today?" Subira caught up with the two cubs, smiling at Kiara.

"Hi Auntie Subira!" Kiara waved happily to the older lioness. She thought Kovu's aunt was rather pretty and a lovely lioness. She never failed to be nice to the cubs around her, and always greeted them. Nala, who was watching her daughter and making sure she didn't stray off Pride Rock during punishment, walked up to Subira, giving her a nuzzle, a friendly lion custom of greeting.

"Hello, my friend. How did your day go?"

Subira kept up her friendly demeanour. "Other than a few mischievous cubs -" she paused, leaving out the part in which hyenas were involved – "my day has been good, my Queen." She smiled knowingly to herself.

"Oh, do drop it with the part of me being Queen," Nala laughed light-heartedly.

"Well it is an honour to be Queen after all, Nala!"

Nala shrugged, and turned to her daughter. "Kiara! You heard her. It's an _honour._" She winked, making Kiara sigh. She knew what her mother meant – it was not a matter of Nala being Queen now, but rather her being the future Queen around these lands.

"I can watch Kiara for you if you like," Subira said helpfully, smiling warmly at the Princess. This was an opportunity for her to strike. Oh, what would she give to have the precious heir of the Pridelands in her paws? It would be truly _wonderful_.

"It's fine. The Princess is under special protection – from me of course," Nala chuckled at her own joke. But it did not deter Subira.

She was patient, just like her name suggested.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the direction of where the sun sets, a group of lionesses and one lion were strolling, relaxed despite the afternoon heat. In lion terms, that direction was the West, and if one stood on top of the summit of Pridelands on a clear day, the West of the Pridelands could be seen behind of Pride Rock. There lay a vast, sprawling land of gold that seemed to stretch for miles. It shimmered brightly in the sun, and occasionally gold dust sprinkled the air above it. There were dunes of gold that were ever changing, just like the winds that blew on its surface. This was the desert, known to all Pridelanders as the Drylands, and only thinly separating it from the lush grasslands was a magnificent canyon, devoid of water during the dry season. The Pridelanders called it the Gorge.

On opposite sides of the Gorge the land told two different stories. One told of good weather and care by the rains, and the other side told of a relentless torture by the merciless sun and winds that beat on the sand dunes and shaped them. They were nearly two worlds apart from one another.

The group of four lionesses and one lion on the lush side of the Gorge had varying facial and body features just like the two different lands. One of them looked just like Queen Nala herself. The resemblance was very uncanny, down to their facial features and light cream fur colouration. The lioness walked without the regal gait of Queen Nala, and her face was weary under the toll of many years past – yet there was no mistaking that this was Sarafina, the mother of the Queen, which came to the Pridelands along with her children.

There was one other lioness in the group that bore a slight resemblance to Sarafina as well. However, unlike Sarafina's soft yet strong Pridelander features, this lioness was lean and muscular, shining from youth and from abundance of food in the Pridelands, and had a sharp nose instead of a button-shaped one like the original Pridelanders before the Unison. She was young, still very much a teenager, but was old enough to learn the ways of patrol and hunting from the older lionesses. Her fur colouration was a light orange-brown, and her deep green eyes were full of life and curiosity.

"Mother," the light-orange lioness spoke to Sarafina, her rich alto voice hinting at a lack of enthusiasm, "is it always this boring on patrol?" The other lionesses, including Sarafina, laughed heartily at the young lioness.

"Amaani, don't be a spoiled brat." The other older lioness smiled nicely as she said it, but the undertone of her words suggested otherwise. This caused some unpleasant memories to surface in the young lioness' mind. What does _she_ know about spoilt, she thought. She came from the Outlands, and in the Outlands, no one knew the words _spoiled_ or _fat_. It was always _blessings_ and _luck_ when a lioness could put on some weight due to the harsh conditions. Amaani was old enough to remember and know the hardships of hunger, something that rarely affected the Pridelands.

"What do you know about spoiled?" She narrowed her eyes and shot back at the lioness who had insulted her in a way.

"Calm down my child, she is merely telling you to be patient," Sarafina reprimanded gently. "Exciting things do not always happen on patrol, you know."

"Then when do they happen, Mother? When it happens, I want to be there."

"Me too!" The only lion in the group spoke up. With a richer pelt of cream that held a hint of gold, the lion was as old as Amaani – still a teenager, but nearly old enough to fend for himself. He bore a healthy resemblance to Sarafina, taking after his mother's nose and strong muscles, but his eyes shone a light meadow green like young grass, as compared to his mother's slightly darker green. His mane was steadily growing, and he had already sprouted a slight dark brown goatee and the beginnings of a very dark mane around his neck and head, contrasting handsomely with his fur.

Amaani laughed. "You too," she said jokingly. Her brother, whose first line he spoke, or at least tried to speak was 'me too', gained the name Mheetu from the ex-Outlanders who would teasingly repeat the line over and over to him in an attempt to hear the little cub speak again. The last lioness in the group was a Pridelander through and through, and did not know of the inside joke of Mheetu's name.

"You two _children_ are the half-brother and half-sister of the Queen and should learn to behave as such," she said condescendingly to them. Mheetu sighed, but his twin sister was more vocal.

"_Children? _Well why don't you stop acting like one yourself," she said sassily at the older lioness.

Sarafina gasped. "Amaani! That was very rude."

"An eye for an eye," Amaani justified. Mheetu smiled cheekily. His sister was always so awesome against snobby Pridelander adults, he thought. They playfully bumped shoulders in agreement. Sarafina, like any mother, smacked both her children upside her head with a paw, while the arrogant lioness rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"If you two are out here to play and not to learn you could always go back to Pride Rock and make yourself more useful, you know," she said, but the two younger lions trotted ahead in the grass, laughing to one another. "Oh Sarafina. Your children are going to be the death of me."

"Kiburi, forgive them," Sarafina smiled, "they are still children after all, no matter how big they grow. Give them time and they will learn their place in the Circle of Life."

"I thought you Outlanders never believed in this nonsense," Kiburi stated snidely.

"Kiburi, maybe you have forgotten, but I came from the Pridelands before too."

"No, you left us for the Outlands, and we Pridelanders all know you as an Outlander."

"_Ex-Outlander, _Kiburi. We are One. Don't you forget that."

"One? One with you, the rowdy Outlanders?" Kiburi snickered. "We are friends. We are One is reserved for King Simba and your daughter, two lovers who always have their heads up in the clouds."

Sarafina looked sadly at her friend. With lionesses like her on both Pridelander and ex-Outlander sides, how will there truly be peace in the Pride?

* * *

"The hunter gazes at her prey…"

In the evening, when the sky turned into bright oranges, pinks and yellows, and the land was bathed in a golden glow, Simba had finished his daily patrol and decided to play with his daughter. Nala sure is strict on her, he thought, and Kiara deserved some time off Pride Rock for being a good cub all day. Nala had huffed angrily, annoyed by the fact that her own mate did not support her choice in disciplining a child. Simba only gave her a playful grin, and led Kiara and his mate down to the fields below for a short playtime in the setting sun. Now he was teaching his daughter the techniques of hunting a butterfly. Gently placing his paw on Kiara's back, he eased her into a crouch.

"Feel the Earth beneath your paws. Read the movements of your prey…" he whispered. Kiara extended her tiny claws, digging them into the ground in anticipation. The butterfly perched on a rock, closing its wings slowly, and fanning them out again. This repeated itself for a few tense moments.

"Now." Her father's signal was all it took, and Kiara pounced, trying to be as fearsome and as accurate of a hunter as a mother. The butterfly took off as fast as she could pounce, and the clumsy cub ended up crashing into the rock, the butterfly escaping without a scratch.

"Oww!" she cried in pain. Simba, concerned as any other father, ran up to her, but as soon as he was assured that she was alright, started laughing loudly.

"Oh Kiara! You nearly got it!"

Kiara smiled sheepishly at her own clumsiness. "I was this close, Daddy!" She protested.

Nala, who was standing on one of the smaller rocks that made up the colossal Pride Rock, made her way down gracefully to join the pair. "Your technique is almost there Kiara. Just a little more."

Simba laughed again. "And I suppose you know a lot about hunting?" In one fluid motion that passed like a blur, Nala leaped at Simba, making the both of them roll over a few times in the grass. When the sudden flurry of movement ended, Nala was pinning Simba's shoulders to the ground, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Pinned ya."

Simba gasped, surprised at the suddenness in which his wife, leader of the hunting party, Queen of the Pridelands, had swept him off his feet. Literally.

Kiara cheered. "Yeah Mom! That was so cool!"

Nala, the mischievous smile still tugging at her lips, got off Simba and turned to her daughter. "Let a lioness show you how it's done."

"She may be the best huntress but _I _am a great hunter," Simba raised his eyebrows at Nala. "I'll take you for a little hunt tomorrow, Kiara."

Kiara gasped happily. "Really, Daddy?"

"She's not off her punishment yet, Simba!" Nala reminded him.

"Not on my rules she isn't," Simba winked at his daughter.

"_Simba!" _Nala cried, but was quickly hushed by a lick from her mate on her cheek.

"Tomorrow you're coming with me into the Pridelands after I make the morning rounds and border patrol." Simba grinned. Nala sighed, defeated, but smiling at the pair that never failed to get on her nerves at times. It was amusing and lovely sometimes, she had to admit. Father and daughter were so alike to each other.

"You promise, Daddy?" Kiara's smile was plastered on her muzzle.

"I promise, my little Kiara."

In the distance, a lone lioness smirked and slipped off quietly. Being patient _did _pay off.

**Cliffhanger moment!**

**Sorry if anyone thought this was a slow chapter. I really wanted to introduce Amaani and Mheetu slowly, because they are unfamiliar characters to all of us. Take note that they are only half-siblings of Nala. I know, Mheetu is a deleted character from the movie, but he doesn't have a created personality yet. So here I placed him as a teenager that grew up in the Outlands before the Unison. If only lions could do high-fives, because Mheetu and Amaani's shoulder bump was the lion equivalent of a human palm-to-palm awesomeness. Anyone wonder who's their father?**

**Sarafina in this storyline is actually originally a lioness originating from the Pridelands who went into the Outlands before the Unison for some reason. Is there more that lies beneath her Pridelander features and her children then?**

**And if there's anyone that wonders what Kiburi looks like…imagine her in your head. With her, I wanted to show a hidden side of some of the Pridelander lionesses. What does she look like to you? In a book, a personality can shine brighter than looks. But feel free to imagine her and tell me what she looks like! **

**And one more family moment, just because I can. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think, readers! Lots of love from yours truly, Chu10. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello my dear readers, and welcome to chapter 7!**

**I am back from the craziness they call school (yeah I know, **_**finally). **_

**Cookies to everyone who reviewed on the previous 6 chapters: **_**Pigs Go Moo, GeminiGemelo, wovensoul, Emerald dreamer 96, CSIMentalistTLK lover, Uzurii, JJZ-109, Haradion, PrideLander, Vulaan Kulaas **_**(extra cookie because of Amali!),**_** Robert Downey Jr94, LaughingCookie96 **_**(hey! Your name says cookie too),**_** T5Tango, yeti1995, Iheartninjago2010, CacoethesScribendi17 **_**(cookies and corncake for you!)****and**_** KaltheBrave. **_**Thank you, ladies and gentlemen! And to all other readers who didn't review, I still thank you very much for reading.**

**Prepare yourself for an adrenaline rush, readers. Anyone watched 'The Impossible'? Much inspiration was gained from there.**

**Disney owns the Lion King and I own the OCs.**

* * *

The sun rose as it did every day, torching up the curtain of stars and bringing the savannah into a new day of light. The birds sang as they did every day, slowing coaxing the Earth into life with their songs of joy and love. The diurnal animals rose from sleep, and the nocturnal took to slumber, as they did every day. It was the Sun and the Moon exchanging places in the sky, a cycle, a circle. The Circle of Life. Everything worked in the way it should.

But not for Queen Nala of the Pridelands.

When she woke, she could feel a strange, nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her instincts were buzzing this way and that, making her very uncomfortable indeed. She hadn't slept very well, due to nightmares that she could quite recall when she woke up. The nightmare had only left a very faint trace of one word that left her shaking when she woke up. _Kifo._

Now, _kifo_ in the ancient language of the pride meant _death._

Death did not mean an end to everything, because death meant that the natural Circle of Life continued on and on, and brought on new life while the spirits went to the stars. However, to all mortal creatures on Earth, death was a scary word. All living creatures had a strong will to live. It is implanted and written in all of them like a code, and this code is what causes all of them to fear it so much. Even the bravest of creatures would have to die one day. It is something that no one can control.

Nala furrowed her brows. It was just a nightmare, she told herself. But the feeling of dread would not go away at all.

* * *

It was time to set her plans in motion, she thought. She only had so much time before the time came to strike. Who were her contacts? Who was on her side? Coming from the Outlands, she knew one friend that she could rely on. And with yesterday came the addition of the hyenas, which she had at her disposal. Oh, this could not have been a more perfect day for the Pridelands, she thought.

Getting up even earlier than the rising sun, she knew she had to pay her contact a visit. Calling her dear sister along with her, both of them went to pay visit to an old friend of theirs. His name was Dhoruba, a_ Messenger of Kifo. _Where death was involved, Dhoruba and his kind would always be present. They were the messengers, the bone-pickers, in the Great Circle of Life, helping the spiritless bodies grow into grass.

Dhoruba was not a dull creature, and he knew an opportunity when he saw one. It was written into him that he would always follow on the trail of death, and yet he was strangely not built for killing, but for following. And why, he would gladly follow on this death trail. He worked with the dead, of course, but he had many friends in the living. These friends of his killed to survive, to eat. He often cleared up after their leftovers. They were _hunters_, and they assisted him in many ways, especially in leading him and his kind to the shells that were once living bodies. The shells, in turn, provided him with a fuel to live. Many spirits in exchange for his.

It would benefit him and his kind. And it was always an honour to serve under the future rulers of the Pridelands. He would gain a lot for being in the service of _royals, _and rules may be made in his favour, with a bit of negotiations, of course.

Why not, he thought. A deal it is.

She smiled. Because now she had Dhoruba on her side, she had already harnessed many contacts. Dhoruba knew many hunters after all. Oh, and don't forget the hyenas. The mutts whom she kept under her paw.

_By the end of today_, she thought, _I will get what I've wanted for so long, _King Simba_._

* * *

A vulture flew overhead of Simba, who was on his early morning patrol, and he looked up towards it, staring at its huge wings of black that carried it through the air. It was an everyday occurrence that animals in the kingdom died, and Simba knew what the vulture was up to – sending a spiritless shell into the balance of the Circle of Life. This was something that even the Great Kings could not control, so the King of the Pridelands merely bowed his head in the direction of the vulture's flight as a sign of respect.

Walking slowly and looking at the light blue morning sky, Simba saw Pride Rock in the distance and remembered his promise to his daughter. That he would take her into the Pridelands for a hunting lesson today. Well, why not now, he thought, smiling to himself. This was the best weather to be out, because when the noon sun came out, he would rather not be moving about.

"Kiara," he called out to her when he arrived back to the colossal rock formation. The little cub immediately came hurtling down the path towards him, happy that she was free at last from her punishment.

"Yay Daddy! You remembered!" After her tagged her best friend, Kovu, who was trying to keep up with her. A few of the lionesses that were lazing around smiled at the sight of the cubs. Always two little bundles of joy, they thought.

"Hey Kiara, wait up! Where are you going? Wait for me!" Kovu came running as fast as he could.

"Hello Kovu," Simba greeted.

"Hello Sir," Kovu said, with all the seriousness of a child. Simba laughed and ruffled Kovu's hair tuft, which was growing out very nicely into a very dark brown, early beginnings of a mane. Kiara stuck her tongue out at Kovu.

"It's my day with Daddy! Hah!"

"Daddy's girl!" Kovu teased.

"Hey!" Kiara pouted.

"You're a Daddy's girl! Bet you always do what Daddy says!"

Kiara gaped, unable to defend herself. Then she turned to her father. "Daddy! Kovu's being annoying!"

Simba chuckled, and said nothing. His daughter started to swat at his tail. "Daddy…_Daddy!_ Do something!"

"I think it's time for _somebody_ to take _somebody_ hunting…" Simba nudged Kiara towards the open grasslands, "come on, my little Kiara." He turned to her best friend. "You too, little lion."

"Yes sir!" Kovu smiled happily, excited at the prospect of learning hunting. But his moment of happiness was quickly cut off by a voice that called out to him.

"Kovu!" The shrill voice of his sister, Vitani, rang over the rocky steps of Pride Rock as she made her way down. "Mother says she wants to see you!"

Kovu's smile turned upside down on the spot. It wasn't that he hated his mother, but he would have loved to go hunting with his best friend and her father… "What's it for, Vitani?"

Vitani shrugged. "Don't ask me."

"Aww…" Kovu's ears drooped in disappointment, "alright." He turned to Simba.

"There's always a next time, Kovu," Simba reassured him, "we'll see you later." Kovu nodded.

"Yeah, we'll see you later," Kiara beamed, "don't miss me!"

"Okay Kiara," Kovu laughed, "see you later."

* * *

Dhoruba glided through the air above. Below him, the beautiful, ruby-eyed lioness ran with him. He was a pair of eyes in the air, the one that could spot many things from above, like all other flying creatures in the Pridelands.

He spotted scents and signs of _kifo_, above all, and what a _sight_. Those hyenas were snarling and snapping over carrion at the Prideland borders. Was it so hard to share, he thought. Folding his wings, he swooped down onto the trio of hyenas, and as he came closer, their bickering became all the more clear.

"Stop eating like a _pig_, Banzai!" A gruff female voice snapped aggressively.

"Why don't _you_ stop eating like a pig, Shenzi?" Came the reply. The trio of hyenas were snatching over a carcass that was mostly stripped to the bones. Dhoruba observed that the last hyena, one with crazed eyes that did not look in the right way, was hurriedly swiping whatever meat was left of the kill. For a crazed hyena, he was cleverer than what he showed, Dhoruba thought, and an opportunist. Just like him.

"Greetings," Dhrouba landed in front of the hyena trio and spoke, his voice a comfortable, mellow one. Quite unexpected of vultures, who usually sounded aggressive, and rarely spoke before claiming a carrion. He even folded his wings instead of fanning them out to claim his kill. This caught the attention of all three, and they turned to stare at him. Even Ed, who had a huge rib bone in his mouth, focused his crazed eyes on to the vulture.

"I will like to call you to the attention of the Lady," he said, inclining his head downwards in a polite nod. The three of them glanced behind Dhoruba – and sure enough, the lioness that was following them was coming towards them.

"Now…" she smiled at them, "you have the simplest of tasks."

She couldn't do with the three hyenas as her only allies. That was why she seeked Dhoruba's help. Dhoruba knew another group of creatures that may be willing to help. She turned to the bald-headed bird-of-prey.

"Go get me the others." Dhoruba merely nodded and flew off in a direction. He had some other contacts to fetch.

* * *

Under the late morning sun, towards the West of the Pridelands, the cub learnt to play fight with her father. She would pounce, and the lion would dodge, and this went on for a few rounds. But the cub failed to land a hit every single time.

"Daddy!" Kiara cried, frustrated. "I can't catch you!"

"My little Kiara. Focus your attention not only on my back…look at my eyes. Look at my legs, and look where and how I am going to run," Simba winked, breathing hard from the exertions. "The trick is _surprise."_

Kiara nodded. If anything, she would catch her father without fail. She looked to her father. Strong, thick muscles, a giant auburn mane, and on his muzzle, a goofy smile at her. One day, she thought, I'll be the best hunter and make him proud!

She took a deep breath, and focused.

_Somewhere near in the bushes, a deep breath was drawn._

She stretched her claws. They were so small, and she knew without a doubt that she couldn't scratch her father. His mane was thick, a protection against sharp things in a fight.

_The creatures stretched their claws. If anything failed, they had their jaws that they knew could hurt._

Once again, Kiara ran towards Simba, focused and ready for a mock take down. Simba poised to dodge.

_The creatures tensed their muscles, ready for a takedown. On their leader's command, they would charge. Anytime now._

Simba dodged Kiara's swipe, and she missed again. Not wanting to see his daughter disheartened, he encouraged her. "Come on! You can catch me!"

_Catch him!_

Before either of the pair could make a move, the pack of hyenas struck, and chaos ensued. _A paw, a pair of snapping jaws – no wait, that was two pairs – and so many,_ _so many of them all around "_Kiara!" _That voice could only come from her father and she was about to get eaten by these jaws and she knew she had to –_

"DADDY!" Kiara screamed, running towards her father amongst the sudden explosion of movement and danger. There he was! A speck of gold among the rush of brown, spotted hyenas. And when she spotted him she immediately knew he was in danger.

"NO! DADDY!" She rushed towards her father, avoiding the scurrying legs of the flurry. Twisting, turning and leaping, she ran as fast as she could over the distance that suddenly seemed like ten miles. The hyenas were surrounding Simba as a pack, snapping their jaws on any part of his body that they could get a hold of. No! They can NOT kill her Daddy!

_The pack tears and tore and sharp teeth all over was that blood? and the King extended his claws to their necks, their brown-furred necks. He could kill them one by one, but wait, that golden speck –_

"KIARA!" Simba cried, and roared ferociously, snapping and breaking the necks of some of his attackers. He had to get to his daughter, and _no one _was going to lay a hair on her!

One of the hyenas turned her head towards Kiara's cry in the cacophony – and immediately clamped her jaws on to the cub. Simba roared with anguish. They _CANNOT_ touch his daughter! His paws knocked into the surrounding hyenas even more ferociously, and with a final, ramming body slam, he knocked an assailant and nearly sent him flying. The hyena that held his daughter hostage widened her eyes, turned tails, and shot off like a bullet. Simba did not hesitate for a moment, and charged towards the hyena. She will _pay _for touching Kiara.

Up ahead, the hyena skidded to a halt. There was no ground left for her to run, and she stood on a steep drop overlooking a huge canyon. The entrance to the Gorge. Seeing that she had no choice, she clenched the cub's nape with her teeth and hung her over the edge. The drop was not steep enough to kill, but enough to injure anyone in a fall. The cub screamed in fear.

"Come any closer and I will toss her off the edge!" She barked through her teeth.

"_NO!_ Don't you dare do that!"

Both the hyena and the lion were desperate to save a life – the lion wanted to save his daughter, while the hyena wanted to save her own. Both locked eyes on to one another – and all of a sudden, the ground started to jump. It was not merely one huge jump, but a series of small yet violent hops that caused small pebbles to vibrate. The hyena widened her eyes once again. It was the signal to drop the cub and run as far from the Gorge entrance as she could. And she did just that.

Kiara barely had the time to scream when she hit the steep ground and started to tumble, out of control, into the Gorge.

Simba rushed towards the steep drop, sliding down as quickly as he could, paws skidding on the sandy ground and claws finding traction on the rough, rolling grains of sand that flew up in clouds. He had to save his daughter. All the more to have her once more safe in his paws, Simba took a leap of faith, plunging down to catch her.

And he caught her in his mouth, just before she nearly rolled off a ledge and hit the hard ground.

Kiara was safe! She was dazed, breathing hard, and had bruises all over – but thank the Great Kings, she was safe.

But the ground hadn't stopped trembling.

A storm cloud of dust flew up overhead, and startled birds flew off, squawking in alarm. This was followed by countless wildebeest, thundering down the Gorge, galloping with a deafening ferocity.

Galloping down towards Simba and Kiara.

…**sorry I had to cut it here, the original draft lasted more than 3500 words, and that would be a **_**pain **_**to read. It was one of the hardest segments to write, too.**

_**Her **_**name was never mentioned, but I'm sure you all know who she is. And I hope you enjoyed Dhoruba as well. His name means 'storm' in Swahili, and I feel that vultures deserve our respect for being part of the Circle of Life.**

**Do leave a review! The next chapter will be up soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here it is as promised (I mentioned I'll put it up quick). Chapter 8. It's a direct continuation of chapter 7. No time-skips, no scene change.**

**Be prepared, for an emotionally charged chapter, dear readers…**

**For the full effect, take a listen to the full track of 'The Stampede'. But no matter if you don't. **

**The Lion King belongs to Disney. OCs belong to me.**

* * *

A storm cloud of dust flew up overhead, and startled birds flew off, squawking in alarm. This was followed by countless wildebeest, thundering down the Gorge, galloping with a deafening ferocity.

Galloping down towards Simba and Kiara.

He barely had time to gasp as he tightened his grip on his daughter and made a rush for his life. A stampede out of nowhere. If Simba had the time to pause and think, he would wonder what triggered it so suddenly, but at the moment the thought only flashed through his mind. His instincts were on a roll, his heart pounding, and his limbs full of energy.

The noise got louder and louder behind him, and to his horror, a wildebeest rushed past him. No! They could not catch up! Desperately, he ran even faster, pushing his muscles to the limit – but that was useless. Like a tsunami, the thundering hooves came upon the pair.

It was frightening. The wildebeest were wild and out of control, taking any path that they could, snorting and baying. Kiara was now wide awake; too in shock to even whimper. Suddenly, a wildebeest tripped, and fell forwards on to Simba. The effect was like a battering ram – it knocked all the air out of him, and Kiara was sent flying into the stampede.

When she landed, she snapped out of her fearful daze and screamed for her father. Where was he? Dust was flying and making her eyes water and it got harder and harder to spot him. Extremely frightened, but pushing down her fear, she ran between hooves, zigzagging the best she could, and staying as low to the ground as possible. Her voice caught in her throat, and she acted purely in the moment to avoid being trampled to death. She had to be brave. She had to find her father!

Simba got up, his head pounding in pain, and just as he stood up, came a second battering ram, this time full force into his body. He gasped in agony, the air in him gone. But the thought of Kiara being knocked down like this drilled into his mind. Determined to get up and reach her, he roared a loud roar to the sky.

There! Kiara heard it amongst the chaos. Her father! As she rushed towards where she thought the sound was, a wildebeest hoof knocked into her front, sending her tumbling into a rock wall.

"Argh!" she clutched at her chest with a paw. The impact was heavy – but thank the Great Kings, she hadn't broken anything. A wildebeest call snapped her back into the situation, and she leaned against the rock wall, looking for her father.

A rock wall.

Kiara immediately realised this, and scrambled upwards on the rocks. The ledge was low enough for her to make it, but high enough for her to avoid being trampled. Despite the sharp pain in her chest, she dug her claws into the surface and climbed one rock after another. And she made it. From the top of the low ledge, she looked over the stampede – and there he was!

"DADDY!" she shouted, but he couldn't hear her over the deafening noise of the stampede. Simba was struggling to run pass the wildebeest, but it was all in vain as he started to get swept away. The wildebeest had the strength of rushing rapids.

If she could hear her Daddy's roar, her Daddy would hear her if she roared at the top of her lungs too. She tried her roar – but it came out a pathetic sound – and she resorted back to screaming for him. There! He heard her, and was looking in her direction. He shouted something out to her. What was that? Kiara could not hear him again, and she strained her ears.

Was that…was her father calling her for help?

Before she could even figure out what Simba was trying to tell her, a sound startled her from behind. A hyena! It was the one who had grabbed her during the attacks from before. It was approaching her as fast as it could on the rocky ledges. She was almost trapped. Below her was the thundering stampede, and behind her was a hyena. The only way to move was forward and nowhere else, and Kiara started to run across the ledges. She moved far faster than the hyena because of her size, but jumping the gaps were the hardest parts.

_Hold on, Daddy!_ She thought, racing for her life. She turned back, and saw that she was very, very lucky. The hyena had slipped, and accidentally fell below the murderous hooves of the wildebeest. Kiara was safe. For now.

After what seemed like an eternity, the stampede started to clear almost as quickly as it did into the Gorge. Like a river on its last drops of water, the wildebeest started to lessen, leaving the slowest, their injured, and their dead behind. The scene looked terrifying. It was almost like the aftermath of a battlefield.

And in the middle of that battlefield lay Simba.

Kiara's voice caught into her throat again as she spotted her father. He did not move an inch, and she feared for the worst – no, no, _nononono. _Daddy will be alright, she thought. Getting off the ledge the fastest way possible, she ran forward to her father.

"Daddy!" She ran up to him. Simba did not react.

"Daddy?" She asked, this time more uncertain, more softly. No, it couldn't be…maybe her Daddy was just knocked out. Or sleeping. Yes, he was just sleeping. She inched towards him, gingerly nudging him with her muzzle.

"Daddy? Wake up…it's over…" she nudged him harder. "Daddy, please wake up - !" Her voice caught in a sob. Simba only lay there, reactionless.

Gone.

Her bruises and injuries started to protest angrily against her every move now that her adrenaline rush was over. But she didn't care. She knew that her Daddy would wake up and take her home. He would take care of her and lick her bruises and make them feel better.

"Please…we have to go home…" Getting no reaction from her father, her voice broke down into uncontrolled sobbing. It couldn't be, she told herself. It couldn't be _it couldn't be itcouldn'tbe. _Tears streaming down her face, she tried every way to wake her father up. She bit on his tail. She pulled on his ear with her teeth. She summoned a deep breath, and tried to roar at him.

Through all that, Simba lay still.

At that moment, Kiara knew the weight of what had just happened. She did not want to say it out, for she knew if she even mentioned that word, it would confirm her worst fears. Instead, she chose to snuggle into her father's mane, burying her muzzle into it and sobbing. If she pretended that her father was sleeping, everything would be fine when he woke up later. The mane was still very warm, and Kiara inhaled as much of his smell as she could. Simba smelt like the dust in the Gorge, but under all of that, he smelt of the familiar grasslands, the sweet scent of grass in the sun. It comforted her from the terrors moments before. She tried to imprint it into her memory as hard as she could. She wanted to remember this forever and ever. Her father's scent.

A high pitched, bone-chilling laughter that echoed off the narrow walls of the Gorge suddenly brought her back to herself. She immediately whipped her head up to look at where the laughter came from. Before she even registered in her mind that these creatures were the ones that attacked her from before, her instincts told her that these were dangerous and could kill her. _Hyenas._

"Is that the little lion Princess with her father?" came the rough voice of a female hyena who led two others at her back. "And what's more, boys, she's a _live _one!" The hyenas at her back laughed menacingly. The one with the eyes that did not look in the right direction and whose tongue was lolling hungrily out of his mouth was drooling in anticipation. Kiara decided that he was the scariest out of all three of them.

The female hyena took a glance at the bodies all around her, the ones of the dead and injured wildebeest from her stampede. And when her eyes passed one of the bodies, she took a double-take.

It was no wildebeest. It was _her. _The hyena who had threatened to throw Kiara into the Gorge. _She _was the Matriarch, the leader of the hyenas. And there she lay. Dead from the stampede. Luck was not on her side when she pursued Kiara across the ledges, and luck had not protected her when she fell to the wildebeests.

Shenzi, threatening a few moments ago, lost her demeanour. She threw her head back and howled with the pain of losing a loved one. The hyenas at her back, Banzai and Ed, saw the same, and howled along with her. Ed may be crazy, but he understood what it meant when someone close died.

"Jamaa! _No!" _Stricken with grief, the trio did not waste one moment before running to her side. Like Simba, the hyena Matriarch, Jamaa, was gone. Shenzi choked out a cry of pain, before slowly turning her head to Kiara, who was trembling helplessly and clinging to her father's mane.

"_You…you killed her!" _Shenzi accused, angrily stalking towards Kiara. The cub let go of her father and started backing off.

"N-no! I didn't!" Kiara shook her head quickly, confused by the accusation. She did not touch the dead hyena! How could she have killed her?

"_I will kill you for this!" _Shenzi growled, and Banzai, who was bowing his head in respect to the Matriarch, turned to bare his teeth at her.

"Because of _you, _Jamaa is _dead! _You pushed her into the stampede and killed her!" He snarled. Ed made a sound of agreement, his usually out-of focus eyes angrily trained on Kiara, who was stumbling backwards in fear.

"It wasn't me! I-I didn't do anything!" She desperately defended herself from the crime. It was true! She did not do anything!

This only made the hyenas angrier. Ed growled. It was his leader, he thought. His friend. His friend had died. And it was because of this cub that Subira was aiming to kill. Which was not dead yet. And this cub, this _nuisance_, had caused the death of Jamaa. Jamaa was a leader who had took care of them all. And now, he would _take care _of this cub.

With a loud cry that sounded like laughter tinged with agony, Ed was the first to leap into action, jaws open wide, exposing sharp teeth that were ready to tear muscle and crack the hardest of bones apart. Kiara gasped and turned, running off as fast as she could.

"_KILL HER!" _Shenzi howled, and the trio gave chase. They were fast, agile, legs built for a long distance chase. Anger at losing their Matriarch turned the three of them into killing machines, ready to avenge their leader.

Kiara ran blindly, going where her feet took her. She had to escape! The remaining dust from the stampede hung in the air, making visibility low in the Gorge. She could only see a few metres ahead of her. As she ran, she unconsciously noticed that the air around her was getting clearer and clearer, and gradually, turning dust-free. After what seemed like forever, Kiara stopped at the edge of a cliff that overlooked a vast expanse of gold, shimmering dust. The Drylands. Her lungs burnt, her throat hurt, and her bruises stung badly. Looking down, she saw that the cliff was very steep, and below laid a patch of thorns, the skeletons of plants that had been torched dry by the sun.

Behind her, the three hyenas were steadily catching up, not showing any signs of slowing down from their chase.

"There she is!" Banzai's cry warned Kiara that they were very, very close. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. Was it to be against the hyenas, whom which she stood no chance against, or was it that she would take a leap of faith down the cliff and still have a tiny chance of survival?

In a spilt second, Kiara went for the obvious choice and launched herself off the cliff.

"She's jumped off?!" Shenzi and Banzai shouted in disbelief, and skidded to a halt on the cliff, looking down at the sea of thorns. Ed, however, was behind them, and showed no signs of stopping.

"Ed…?" Banzai turned around, and saw his friend charging towards the both of them at full speed. "No Ed! _No no no stop_ – "

Before he could finish his sentence, Ed barrelled into the two other hyenas, causing all of them to fall off the cliff, howling and yelping.

Kiara landed into the ground below the sea of thorns with a hard _thud. _She lay there for a while, not moving. Am I still…alive? She thought to herself. Dazed and in pain, she moved her paws, and found that despite being very battered and covered with small cuts, they moved to her will. She nearly laughed with the relief and absurdity that she, in fact, was still alive after rolling down _two _cliffs in one day, but the urgency of the situation took over, and she started to duck and twist her way through the thorns. She was small enough to make her way through the gaps where the branches parted.

The hyenas, however, were not as fortunate, and when they fell, there was nothing to stop them from getting badly injured by the merciless thorns that pierced through their skins, drawing blood. Even having fur did not help one bit, and the trio found themselves howling in pain once more. Leaping out of the thicket, they climbed and hung fast onto a ledge on the steep cliff, and angrily watched their target escape.

"You cannot run forever! Once you come back into the Pridelands, I'll make sure you're cub stew!" Shenzi shouted.

"Yeah! If you ever come back, we'll kill ya!" Banzai echoed after his comrade. Ed gave a long howl, sorrowful and filled with anger.

Kiara's heart pounded in fear of the hyenas trying to catch up with her, and once she was free of the sea of thorns, her paws stepped onto hot, soft desert sand. It scorched her injured paws, but gritting her teeth, she kept running, afraid that the hyenas would catch up and kill her.

But the hyenas had already given up their chase for now. She was in the mercy of the Drylands.

She went on for what seemed like miles of sand dunes, and only slowed down eventually when her breathing started to get very hot. Her body felt like mud – slow moving, and liquefied. As if her very self was going to melt and dissolve into the sand. And her mind felt light, as if spider webs had been spun into her head, but at the same time, it was pounding along to the beat of her heart.

She was badly bruised and cut all over, and her eyes hurt, both from the sand and from crying. She couldn't feel her paws any longer. Kiara was extremely and utterly exhausted. A strong wind blew, sending up a lot of sand at her, sending her stumbling. She looked around, trying to find her bearings. And horrifyingly, she was helplessly _lost. _Every dune in the desert looked the same, and the wind was not helping. It beat and shaped the dunes into different patterns, and all her paw prints from before were gone.

"No…" She whimpered. How was she ever going to escape the Drylands? She wanted her father to come after her, maybe appear suddenly, and tell her that everything would be alright and he had defeated the hyenas. Everything would be fine if her father appeared.

The thought of her father nearly made her break down again. There he was, unmoving, lying down in the Gorge, body broken and lifeless. Her father would never wake up and tell her nice stories again. Her father will never stand up and teach her how to hunt again. She will never get to snuggle with her father again…

Her heart felt like it was ripped into two. No, this could not have happened, this -

"Kiara." On the wind, a voice caught her attention. A muscular lion, auburn mane flowing in the wind, stepped out of a cloud of billowing desert sand towards her.

"Daddy! You're alright!" Kiara cried with relief, fresh tears coming to her eyes. Her father gently moved towards her, giving her a comforting lick on the forehead. He had not one injury on his body. Too exhausted to stand any longer, Kiara collapsed on to the sand.

"You'll be fine, Kiara. I'm here." She heard her father's soothing voice as her mind slowly faded into darkness.

"I love you, my little Kiara…"

On the sands, the mirage of Simba dissolved as if it was made of sand and floated into the desert winds.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **

_**VONDON WILES**_**: Woah! Slow down on the caps, bro! Thank you very much for the review, we shall see if Kiara appears here. If you like, you could create an account here – it's free and I can respond to your review better and more properly via PM. Cheers! :)**

**Forgive me for the delay; school work's getting ever the heavier. But I really, really love you guys a lot, so here you go! To the few of the readers whom I've chatted with (**_**you know who you are, guys!**_**), thank you for all the inspiration, support, and/or an awesome time. **

**Remember Kiburi, the arrogant lioness? And Amali, Kiara's babysitter? They appear here. Now I shall stop my mini rant and let you read on. **

**Oh, but before you proceed any further – my warning is that this chapter has darker material than the previous one. It will be dealing with the issue of death, which is never a light subject matter, especially when it's a main character. PM me if you have any questions. Credits go to **_**yeti1995, **_**my new beta reader! Comment a 'Yeti rocks!' for him in your review, would you? :)**

**The Lion King belongs to Disney. Amali belongs to Vulaan Kulaas. All other OCs are mine.**

* * *

Three hyenas stood in front of a shaded figure, reporting the outcome of the planned assassination of the King and his daughter. Where they were standing, tall, sharp shadows were cast on to the ground by looming, curving organic structures.

To most of the inhabitants of the Pridelands, this place had a ghostly quality that hung in the tingling air. The place held hot, spitting geysers that spewed clouds of hot sulphuric gas, making it even more uncomfortable for any living thing to be in. The land held an ancient quality, and the earth told stories of once majestic creatures.

Elephants.

An elephant could sense when the spirits in the stars above called out to them, and they knew where to rest their old and tired bodies. The bone-pickers and spirit messengers knew this place well, for it was a place heavy with the smell of _kifo. _Nonetheless an ominous place, but a significant one.

The remains of the gentle giants lay in this ancient place, known to the Prideland inhabitants as the Elephant Graveyard. Or rather, in the words of the creatures that came before, _tembo makaburini. _The shadows cast by the enormous skeletons seemed ominous – it was as if a creature could leap from the darkest recesses of the bones anytime.

The animals told many tales that were inspired by this place itself. One told of the elephant bones, which stood up and did a ritualistic dance on a certain day of the moon cycle. Another told of the low, vibrating elephant songs, which could be heard on days when the geysers were quiet. There was even one with a raging elephant spirit that trampled anyone who entered.

On one of the smaller elephant skulls, a shaded figure stood, listening to the hyenas.

"She will pay for what she's done to Jamaa!"

"It was _so _close! I nearly caught her!"

"You have to do something, -"

The shaded figure angrily cut the sharp barks of the hyenas off. _"Silence!" _

"Attention, you three _fools. _I assigned the simplest of the tasks to you, and you fail them. Something in my mind is telling me to kill all three of you – but why do that to three _precious _little things?

"Here's what will happen to the three of you. I will not slit your throats, but I will let you stay in service to me. All you need to do is be loyal – " the shaded figure nudged a huge, juicy chunk of wildebeest leg with its paw "- and a proper share of Prideland food will be all _yours." _Finishing the address, the shaded figure threw the meat into the midst of the hyenas' impatient, snapping jaws.

It was time to call on her ally, she thought. _The Messenger of Kifo. _Her eyes in the sky.

The heir to the throne must not be allowed to live.

* * *

The sun was setting on the Pridelands, a trail of blood red across the African sky. The air was heavy with the sense of uneasiness as Queen Nala paced back and forth on the promontory, many pride members watching her.

"It'll be alright, Nala, they are probably just out late. You know how Simba is," said Sarabi, who sat beside her mate. She was obviously worried, and even when she tried to assure Nala, no one could mistake the underlying tone of her voice. Sarabi, the previous old Queen, was normally calm in the face of things – but now she was not. The pride members sensed her worry, and started murmuring among themselves.

"Sarabi's worried? Then we must be doomed…"

"Simba wasn't the most responsible father…"

"I think Kiara's the one who got lost and her father had to look for her…"

All the while more, Nala heard the whispers all around the pride and felt suffocated. That dream about _kifo _in the morning. Had it all come true? No, she told herself. These things wouldn't happen suddenly. Could they? As the murmurings rose in volume, Nala clenched her teeth all the more harder.

"My brothers and sisters," the deep, booming voice of Mufasa spoke up beside the old Queen, calling all attention to him. "Do not fear. The last lioness outside looking for them has not returned. There is still hope."

Then there was the sound of footsteps, and everyone in the group turned to the sound. A young brown pelted lioness, Amali – ironically her name meant _hope_ as well - appeared, her usually fierce teal eyes wide open with shock. When she reached the gathering of lions, she only stood there, breathing hard. She looked like she was about to collapse.

"T-the King, h-he-" Amali nearly fell on to her knees, only to have one of the lionesses catch her before she fell. Nala gazed at Amali, her eyes hard, and Mufasa walked over to meet the young lioness properly.

"My child," he said, his voice gentle and sure, "catch your breath and tell us what happened, slowly."

"I-" Amali started, and suddenly broke into sobs, unable to hold her tears back. What her eyes had found was a very terrible sight, and her tears did nothing to erase the vivid, fresh memory. Sarabi came forward, pulling the young lioness into a hug.

"Slow down, Amali. It'll be fine," she nuzzled her in a motherly way.

"It's not going to be fine if she does not say anything!" Kiburi, a lioness, said loudly. Some of the pride members gasped, shocked at her behaviour, but some others nodded and made sounds of agreement. They were all no closer to finding out what happened if nothing was said.

Angrily, with tears still streaking down her face, Amali quickly ducked out of Sarabi's embrace, turning to face the whole of the pride.

"_The King is DEAD!" _She roared. "I couldn't do anything – I didn't know what happened! What more do you want?!" At this, she broke down into a sob again, pushing past the lionesses at the steps that led down Pride Rock and running down the rocks, off into the grasslands.

The whole pride was stunned into silence.

The. King. Is. Dead.

_Dead._

"_No!" _Nala cried sharply, leaping down the steps after Amali. "Amali, wait!" Amali did not even slow down.

"_STOP!" _Nala roared, tackling the younger lioness down like how she took down a prey, except that she leapt not to kill but to catch. With little struggle, she expertly pinned Amali to the ground, both of them staring at one another. Amali's eyes were still wet, but Nala's were wide and furious.

"Where is Simba? Where is Kiara? _Where did you find them?_"

Amali squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm sorry, Nala. I couldn't do anything…I couldn't do anything, I couldn't-"

Nala growled from the back of her throat. This lioness was not helping, she thought angrily.

"_Where the hell are my husband and my daughter?!" _Her voice was like a slap to Amali, who flinched.

"S-simba's at the Gorge…"

Nala wasted no time in flying off to the Western borders of the Pridelands.

* * *

When the Queen finally found her way down into the Gorge, it was deathly slient. The battlefield-like scene that had laid there in the afternoon had not changed at all.

And in the middle of that battlefield lay Simba.

Too flushed with emotion to utter a word, Nala cautiously went up to her mate.

"Simba?" He did not react.

"Simba, no. Please." She went up to him, nuzzling his still form gently, as if he had just came back from a hard day of settling problems in the Pridelands or was sleeping lazily after a round of patrols. Her mate only lay there, reactionless.

Gone.

"It cannot be…it cannot be…_no! Simba, it cannot be!" _She screamed, her voice echoing in the desolate Gorge. "Simba, no! _No, no, no!_"

Most of the adult members of the pride had appeared, coming up beside their Queen. Most of them held expressions of shock – some couldn't help it and started crying on the spot. Even Scar, brother of the old King, had his brows raised high. He was the first one among them to speak up.

"What in the name of the Great Kings has happened here?" he asked, his usually purring, calm voice heightened with surprise. Zira came up beside him, her eyes stoic and void of any emotion. Suddenly, everyone started talking at once.

"Oh my goodness! Amali wasn't lying!"

"What happened? _What happened?"_

"It cannot be! My King!"

Nala, however, did not seem to have heard them, and the sounds around her were drowned out as if she was underwater. She was sobbing, burying her head into the nook of Simba's neck, the softest part of his mane where she so loved to nuzzle.

"My love, I am sorry…I should've never let you go out today," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. It's all…my...fault…"

Meanwhile, the pride members in the Gorge were raising their voices, the tension and grief soaring.

"My son…" Sarabi padded up to her son's still form. Her son, going up to the stars before her or Mufasa did. This wasn't the natural order of things – it wasn't right for a mother to bury her son. It just wasn't right. She fell to her knees, leaning her head downwards. Her shoulders shook with grief as her tears flowed down her cheeks. Mufasa, seeing both his mate in sorrow and his son so _still_, roared a loud, thundering roar to the sky. He felt the injustice like his mate did. Many members of the Pride echoed his roar, mourning the loss of their King, their friend, their pride brother. A part of their family.

A mournful silence hung in the air while the pride gave a moment of silent respect." Slowly, Amaani, Sarafina's daughter, spoke up, her voice a whisper.

"Where's Kiara?"

The question pierced the silence like a spear. The pride had been so shocked and in turmoil that they'd focused all their attention on to the broken body of the dead King that lay right before their eyes. Now just where was the body of the Princess?

"Find her," said Scar, his expression only holding a subtle sadness, his voice stone hard. "We've to give them their proper farewells." Nobody disagreed with him – the old lion was usually calm in the displays of death. And he was right. Slowly, but surely, the pride members got up, searching every crevice and cranny of the cold Gorge.

Nala, meanwhile, was not doing any better. She was taking the death very hard, harder than even Sarabi and Mufasa did. When she heard Kiara's name, it was the last straw. All the world around her faded to muted tones and colours. She felt the comforting nuzzles and head bumps from some other lionesses. But they did not matter.

She did not care anymore.

Her one love, that united the separated prides together, was gone forever. Her daughter, Kiara, was gone with him. All in the period of one day. One day for the two to be gone forever. Nala sobbed over the body of her mate. No amount of crying would bring them back, she knew it.

Dear Simba, dear Kiara…take me with you, she thought, the darkest of thoughts plaguing her broken mind. It's lonely without you; when you've taken all the joy away…

* * *

The whole of the pride never managed to find Kiara before the sun set completely over the Pridelands, bathing it in darkness. The stars high above shone, but there was a thick layer of clouds covering them, shielding the stars from view. It was one of the darkest nights in the Pridelands as the lions carried the body of Simba back to Pride Rock.

Tomorrow, they would announce a funeral for the King.

* * *

A wet dawn rose over the Pridelands, as a loud voice called over the lands. The shaman of the Pridelands, Rafiki, was bringing the animals to gather at Pride Rock. But it was not for a joyous occasion.

As he shook his staff and sang a ritualistic song that gathered the animals in the death of royalty, many creatures came from far and wide. The majestic elephants, which were hard to miss. The cheetahs, which ran just a little slower than usual. Vultures circled overhead, their black wings dark against the sky, and all creatures in the great Circle of Life knew why or when they appeared. All of these creatures knew the song held a heavy meaning.

When the inhabitants of the Pridelands had gathered at the bottom of Pride Rock, all of them could see Simba, lying still on the ground just below Pride Rock, as if he was sleeping on his front. Rafiki continued his song of mourning as some of the animals came forward to place flowers onto him.

The solemn ceremony passed without any speech except for Rafiki's chants. One by one, after the animals, the lions came forward to place flowers of red and white unto their King.

Nala came forward, not speaking one word as she laid her flower down onto her mate. Her face was expressionless. There were no tears to spill anymore.

Next came Kovu, who was shaking and crying when he came up beside Simba. Gently, he placed his one of his two red lilies held by the stems in his mouth onto Simba's back, and bowed his head. I'll miss you Sir, he thought.

He moved beside Simba, and placed his second lily on the ground, where a small patch of new grass was growing. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Kovu tried to get his words out to the animals and the pride between his tears.

"It's for Kiara." He sniffed, and went back to Zira, who welcomed him into an embrace. Kovu let his tears flow, clinging on to his mother. There was nothing found of Kiara for the Pridelanders to mourn over. Not even a trace. It was very tragic, and some of the animals let out sounds of sorrow – the zebras brayed, the hippos roared, and the elephants stomped and let out loud, nasal calls.

In tradition, if a member of royalty wasn't present in death, then it was a different ceremony, one of only silence. But Kovu, being so young and just having lost his best friend – the animals knew they could make an exception. One by one, they laid more flowers down beside their beloved King, making a small tribute to their young Princess.

Rafiki's song rose in volume, the ancient words singing to the spirits in the stars above. _Bless them, _he sang, _guide them to your place in the heavens. _The sky responded, but not gently. A lightning split the dark clouds above, which were pregnant with rain, and light rain began to fall onto the Pridelands as each lion came up with their flowers after the other animals. The land, along with all sentient creatures on the Pridelands, mourned the loss of their young King and Princess.

* * *

That dark afternoon, where rain fell in huge, heavy droplets, Rafiki sat in his ancient tree. The shaman had seen deaths and blessed many, but yet each one had never failed to pull his old heart into pieces. With a heavy hand, he smeared the golden drawings of Kiara and Simba on the bark.

"A young life dis is," he said slowly, pressing his palm on Kiara's symbol, and with one swipe of his long finger, rubbed off the red streak on the symbol's forehead. A flame of a young life, extinguished before it could begin fully. Unlike the other symbols of lionesses above her, Kiara's was missing the red streak that symbolised blood and life.

The tree truly feels hollow today, Rafiki thought as he lay down on one of its branches and looked up towards the rain. The droplets that were caught on the leaves dripped down onto his face, washing his face that was streaked with colour, catching his tears off and bringing them down to the ground.

Even a shaman was allowed to cry.

**Sorry to end this chapter on this note, it was heart-breaking for yours truly here as well. Do not judge the story merely by this chapter; this is the darkest it can get. I promise I won't make you readers suffer like that again. *crosses fingers* Seriously, I do not want this story to be focused on these kinds of things. They're never to be taken lightly.**

**I know I haven't focused enough on the pride in this chapter, but there is so much more time to explore each and every one of their reactions after this significant incident.**

**Remember to comment 'Yeti rocks!' for my lovely beta reader! Till the next chapter, Chu10 signing off.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Welcome to Chapter 10, my dear readers! 57 reviews…dear me, you guys, have I said how much I love you?**

**After so much sorrow and devastation in the pride, I guess now would be the perfect time to take a break for a while and let the characters catch their breath, and hopefully you too. Read on for some comfort and lighter moments than what was in the previous few chapters.**

**Proofreading credits go to **_**yeti1995.**_

**Disney owns The Lion King and cast, I own my OCs.**

* * *

Kovu stayed awake through the first hours of the moon after the ceremony.

Things had never been the same since his best friend was gone. The night was so much colder. He didn't even get to say goodnight to his friend one last time today. Thinking about this made Kovu's small heart feel like it was being ripped painfully into two, and his tears slid down his face quietly as he lay beside his siblings and his mother. What was it that Kiara had last said to him?

_Don't miss me._

There wasn't even a Kiara there for him to miss anymore.

The thought was heart wrenching. It was just an innocent goodbye…how was he supposed to know that it was a goodbye for _forever_? Maybe, just maybe, there was a small chance that his friend was alive, and maybe tomorrow she'd come back and play and talk with him once again. Maybe he would stop calling her 'Princess Clumsy' if it pleased her. He would do whatever it was that made his best friend happy.

He would do anything that would make her come back.

Kovu nearly let out a sob but he bit his lip. He couldn't just wake his siblings up just because he cried too loudly – or worse, he did not dare to wake Zira for fear of her scolding. Shoulders quivering, he stood up gingerly and crept his way out the den and towards the promontory of Pride Rock, carefully avoiding the paws and tails and snouts of the sleeping lions. He had to spend some time alone – or _get some air_, as the adults called it. The avoiding of the sleeping forms of the lions suddenly brought a memory up into his head, one of him and his best friend sneaking out of the cave so that they could run off to play before any of the adults found them. It seemed like just yesterday that she was here, and today, there was nothing left except for her scent. It was made even worse, and confusing, because the lionesses that he went to for seeking comfort in were crying and they were not of much help.

He hopped over the paws of another lioness that lay at the den entrance, and out into the open air – and for a split second he thought he saw a ghost sitting on the tip of the promontory. The figure was of a lioness, and it was so hauntingly quiet against the dark curtain of stars that Kovu took a few seconds to register that that was Queen Nala. He nearly opened his mouth and called out to her, but he realized that that may wake up the lionesses that were just behind him, so he padded quietly up to her instead.

"Nala?" He asked. The Queen was staring down at the ground, silent tears falling to the ground. She did not even lift her eyes to respond to him, nor did she make any move that indicated she felt his presence. This was worse than the other lionesses, Kovu thought. He thought for a moment on what to say to Nala, but decided against it. She was not going to react to anything – she hadn't reacted to anything for the whole of the evening. Even when the concerned members of the pride came up to persuade her to get some rest in the den, she did not react or move an inch. She only sat there, switching between staring into space and crying her heart out.

Each of her thoughts came like a stab to her heart. Her mate, the King of the pride, the love of her life. Did he not promise that he would be with her forever? He was so healthy and alive this morning. _He was_ _gone._

Her daughter, the young Princess, the joy of her life, born of her own flesh and blood. The hardest thing was not seeing her one last time. She made a promise as a mother that she would protect Kiara with her life if she had to. But she had _failed. She was gone. _Nala could not even find her daughter to bury_. I'm so sorry, Kiara, I'm so sorry, _she thought.

She had never felt more broken.

"Nala…" Kovu couldn't stand to see the mother of his best friend like this. She was one of the adults that he respected the most and looked up to, as an excellent huntress and especially a caring figure. There had to be some way to help her, he thought. Gently leaning onto her foreleg, he gave it a gentle nuzzle, like how a cub would greet its mother.

"Don't cry…" Kovu sniffed.

This time, Nala lifted her head slightly to look at the small cub that was hugging her foreleg. Without speaking a word, she leant over him, pulling him close against her chest. Hugging him like how she would hug Kiara if she were still there. Both cub and lioness cried together for a while, letting off everything that was sealed in their hearts moments before. It felt slightly better, if not good. They still had each other, and even if they were not related by blood, Nala saw Kovu as the son she never had.

"Nala?" Kovu lifted his chin to look at her, his eyes still wet with tears.

"Yes, Kovu?" Nala finally spoke her first words since the discovery of her mate at the Gorge. She was talking! He could have smiled if his mind wasn't so sad from what happened.

"I miss Kiara very much…" The way he spoke it, direct and full of childish innocence, was nearly unbearable for Nala, who nearly broke down again. But the warm feeling of Kovu between her paws brought her back to herself. Here was a cub that had lost almost as much as she did in less than a day.

"I miss her very much too, Kovu," she said, more tears spilling. "I miss Kiara and Simba very, very much…"

Kovu snuggled in closer to her, feeling the motherly warmth of her fur. "Don't cry…"

"You too," Nala pressed her forehead to Kovu's. "You're a big cub. Don't cry."

"I will try not to cry if you try too," he said, with the all the seriousness of a lion. Nala licked him on his forehead. This cub was a comfort to her, a float that she could cling on to in her sea of despair. She knew she had to do the same and comfort him.

"Do you remember the stories that they tell about the stars, Kovu?" She asked. The Queen was very slowly, but surely and gradually coming back to herself as she talked to Kovu. The cub shook his head.

"The stars represent the spirits that I've once taught you about. When they leave the land, their spirits go up there…and there, is the same place where the Great Kings" - her voice cracked slightly at the word _Kings_ – "of the Past are. Watching over us."

"Sir Simba is up there? Looking at us?" Kovu looked to the sky, searching for Simba's star.

A single tear rolled down Nala's cheek as she nodded, too emotional to speak.

"What about Kiara? Is she doing the same?"

Nala was crying again, and did not respond to him. Kovu leaned close to her. "You said you'll try not to cry…"

Nala picked herself up again, and nodded. "I'm sorry Kovu, I'm trying…"

"Nala look," Kovu pointed up to two of the brightest stars in the night sky, a larger one side by side with a smaller one. "I think that's Sir Simba and Kiara next to each other. I chose the brightest ones for them and I know they'll like it."

"Thank you, Kovu," Nala whispered, pulling him close to her once more, choking back a sob. "Thank you very much…"

* * *

In the desert sands, a migrating herd of one male and five female African elephants made their way through the scorching landscape, led by their towering, wise Matriarch.

She was the biggest, wisest and oldest of the elephants in the herd, her tusks of ivory strong, and her hide as tough as tree bark. She was travelling across this terrain, leading her herd in search of water. Their previous home was experiencing a drought and the elephants knew they could not stay for any longer. By the Matriarch's side walked her son, Tembu, who was still quite young, at the age where he could intelligently comprehend and understand many things around him, yet he was not to be considered a teenager yet. He was the only male in the group, a calf young enough to still travel in a herd with his mother.

"I'm tired, Mother," Tembu spoke, his ears fanning himself. They were not as huge as his mother's yet though, and he could not cool himself down like she did so easily. They had been travelling for many hours under harsh conditions, and it could be taxing on a young elephant like him.

"Come into my shade, son," she replied, her alto voice mellow and motherly. Carefully allowing her son to walk near her tree trunk-like legs and wall-like body, she sheltered him from the desert sun.

"How long before we get there, Komali?" One of the other elephants spoke up, not impatiently, but curious.

"I am not sure yet, Jati, but I know it. Our ancestors have travelled this path before," she reassured, "and I know it is the right way." The rest of the elephants sounded their agreements. Komali was indeed wise, and from experience she knew that this was the right way to go. But she also knew that her small herd must have been exhausted, and there had to be some way to lift their spirits in this tough time.

In a slow, repetitive rhythm, she brought her feet down to the ground, stomping a beat and sending up small dust clouds and a _soft thoom _every time one of her feet came into contact with sand. From the back of her throat, she hummed the beginnings of a deep and vibrating tune, singing of the travels across the desert. It was a song passed down along generations of elephants, written into memory. One by one, the herd joined in, lending their rhythm and harmonising their voices to the ancient tune once sung by their ancestors.

_"I sing this song of trav'ls old_  
_Across the sands of desert gold_  
_To th' land of plenty where water holds_  
_As ancient tradition once foretold."_

Tembu listened on in wonder at the singing voices and pounding rhythms of the adults, an old melody that captivated him. His voice could not go low enough to join in the song, but he listened and learned, his head swaying gently. As he got lost in the tune and his own thoughts, something at the corner of his eye caught his attention. It was something in the desert that did not seem to fit in with the dunes of sand – a rock, yet it looked very soft and hairy. Not wanting to interrupt the tune that was music to his ears, Tembu stepped out of his mother's shade and moved towards the object of interest.

"Tembu?" Komali stopped her singing to catch up with her son.

"Mother, look at this rock," he gently prodded it with his little trunk, "it breathes." His eyes opened with wonder.

Komali tilted her head and adeptly flipped it over with her own trunk. What she saw was a young lioness cub – and she was still breathing - but only shallowly.

"What is a young cub like this doing out in the desert?" she wondered aloud. The four other members of the herd had dropped the tune and caught up, looking at the cub in surprise.

"We have to get her water – and fast," Komali decided, gently rolling her trunk into the shape of a 'J' towards her mouth to pick up the unconscious cub.

"Komali, we would get nothing out of helping her," the youngest of the female elephants spoke up. "If you carry her, you may slow us down."

"Kindness may not always be repaid, but we are free to choose our own actions, Intan." The Matriarch replied gently. "Come. We must move with haste to where water holds."

The land where water was held was in fact not far off, less than a day's walk in fact, and at the edge of the desert were the beginnings of a lush, beautiful African rainforest. The elephants sped up their pace, nearly moving at a running pace against the whipping desert winds that threatened to cut any skin or hide that was softer than that of theirs. And what a relief, when they saw the first signs of green in a land of gold.

"Mother, we're here!" Tembu trumpeted, excited that their journey was fruitful indeed.

"You indeed are wise, Komali." Jati spoke up, proud of her Matriarch's wisdom.

"It is not without the support of you all. We should get some water first – and save this dying cub." Komali really hoped that the young cub she held with her trunk could make it. It was already barely breathing, and the elephant hurried over to the green in the distance, her son Tembu running in tow.

* * *

At a small, murky pond near the edge of the jungle, two animals - or rather one animal that stood up with the other on its back - were standing at the edge of a small pool, looking into the murky water that stood stagnant. They were the strangest pair indeed – a beige-furred meerkat that was kneeling down on the back of a warthog.

"Uhh Timon," the warthog said, his voice rough but jovial sounding, "I don't think this is a good idea…"

"C'mon Pumbaa, water slugs are delicious and you know it!" The meerkat replied.

"_Well_ I don't think those are water slugs," Pumbaa chimed in thoughtfully, "I think they're called leeches."

"No, they're water slugs."

"Leeches."

"Water slugs!"

"Leeches!"

"Who's the smart one?" Timon said arrogantly.

"Uhh…you are." The warthog answered.

"That's right Pumbaa, now we dip our hands in the water…and out jump the water slugs!"

Pumbaa crouched down, his huge snout nearly dipping into the water, with Timon reaching over, his hands near the surface of the murky water.

"On the count of three Pumbaa. One, two, thr-"

A long, grey worm like thing stretched over their heads from behind, its head diving into the water. Both the animals froze, their wide eyes focused on the thick, wrinkly, grey living thing that even had a few strands of hair sticking out between some of its folds on its body.

_I never thought that water slugs could fly,_ thought Timon.

_I told you this was a bad idea,_ thought Pumbaa.

The two of them turned upwards, following the rugged skin, and saw that two curved, white branches that looked too perfect to be on any tree were curving above their heads, each extending outwards into pointed tips. They led to even more wrinkly skin, and huge, fan-like ears made of the same tough hide that gently moved to the wind. All of it was colossal in comparison to the small, black-pupiled eyes that stared down at the awestruck pair from high above.

"What, in the world - ?" Timon's jaw hung, stunned by the size of this creature that towered over them. The legs were as strong looking as any tree trunk all around the jungle, and they stood firmly, holding the creature up.

Suddenly, loud sounds of branches being cracked down sounded behind the trio at the pond, and towards them thundered _six _of the creatures that resembled the huge one that had just reached into the waterhole with its seemingly hand-like limb.

The giant suddenly turned, ferocious that others had just intruded into his personal space in such a rude manner.

"WHO ENTERS?" He trumpeted loudly, nearly causing Timon and Pumbaa to fall backwards into the waterhole with the force of his bellowing voice.

At the front of the small herd, the Matriarch lifted her head threateningly, preparing for a fight if it came to one. This bull elephant that stood in front of them was humoungous, and if push came to shove, she would protect Tembu at all costs, never mind the cub on her trunk.

"We only request for a drink, one to save a life," Komali answered, her eyes fixed on the male.

The bull elephant responded with a deafening nasal call. Komali placed the cub down quickly, and answered with an ear-splitting trumpet of her own, her trunk lifting into the air.

Between Timon and Pumbaa, they gave a quick glance at each other, then to the cub that lay between them. It did not look like it was sleeping – in fact, it looked like it was dying.

"_Take her away and give her water!"_ Komali commanded, her eyes never leaving that of the fierce bull in front of her.

"Is she talking to us Timon?" Pumbaa asked, his eyes wide with panic.

"Who else do you think she's talking to Pumbaa?!" Timon yelled.

Just then, the giants let out another couple of thundering battle cries to each other, making the pair jump up in shock, hairs on end.

"_Take it take it take it!"_ Timon shouted, sliding backwards onto Pumbaa's back as the warthog tossed the cub onto his snout with a quick shoveling movement and fled the scene before all hell broke loose.

**Sorry the ending was a little abrupt, I had to cut it because the original draft was **_**staggering.**_** Timon and Pumbaa are a challenge to write! Hope I did them justice…and I know some of you may hate Timon and Pumbaa but do bear with me.**

**Here's a fun fact – did you know where the names of the elephants Komali, Jati, and Intan come from? I was very inspired by the Asian elephants in the Singapore Zoo, and because their names had very nice rings to them, I chose them as the names of these African elephants. Komali in real life is indeed the oldest and largest of the female elephants, the Matriarch and the star attraction of the group. **

**I've always admired elephants for their behaviour as gentle giants and their ability to recognise and remember events and people. They always seem to know where to go, much like birds in migration, and are so intelligent I couldn't resist writing a song for them. Any composer interested enough could help me turn that into a tune – but till then it will stay a poem.**

**On a last note I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. Do leave me with your thoughts! Cheers!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: How are you, readers? I hope you've rested enough from the last chapter with its sweeter and comparatively calmer atmosphere, and for any of you that are having exams or are working, I hope you are well!**

**Remember Nala's half siblings, Amaani and Mheetu? They're back – along with many of the familiar members of our beloved Pride.**

**Read along as a spark threatens to roar into an inferno. Also, here we shall see some insight into what came before the Unison.**

**Proofreading credits go to _yeti1995_.**

**Amali is owned by Vulaan Kulaas. Lion King is owned by Disney. OCs are owned by me.**

* * *

"I want to know what happened! It is not possible for her to be dead. We have not found her body yet!" The voice of a teenager at her emotion's peak sharply pierced the air.

The very next morning, as the sun rolled over the East of the Pride Lands, the lionesses in the Pride were gathered around in a group. The sadness from the previous day still hung in the air and the grieving was still fresh. Not one lioness had remembered, or wanted to mention anything about today being the day of hunting. But as they chatted, one of the lionesses mentioned the word 'Kiara', and Amali immediately lost her fragile grip on herself and let her pent up emotions from the day before run free. She was the babysitter of Kiara, and to lose a sister-like figure in her life was as painful as the loss of her parents.

"Amali, silence please." Sarabi reprimanded from where she was sitting.

"Kiara is _not _dead! Why are you all acting as if she is? We have not found her body!" The teenager continued, oblivious to the underlying tone of warning from her elder.

A loud roar of anguish pierced the air and up stood Nala, who marched up to the young lioness. Tears were spilling from her eyes, and her lips were pulled back in a snarl.

"_Enough!"_ She threatened, growling at Amali. "When Sarabi says not to mention something, you had better keep quiet, or you will have your throat slit!"

The lionesses in the group all gasped. They did not expect this kind of threat to come out from the mouth of their Queen. But then again, who could blame her? She had lost her daughter and her mate, all in the span of one day. Her emotions proved to be one of the most unstable, because just as she sat back down, she started to break down once more. The Queen's mother and two half-siblings came up beside her, nuzzling her and patting her on the back.

In an attempt to justify her own feelings and opinions of the events that had startled the whole of the Pride the day before, Kiburi, who had been sitting to the side of it all, spoke up and voiced her suspicions openly.

"Perhaps, just perhaps, the foolish teenager is right. What if the Princess was not dead? And it was all just a conspiracy? Our King could not have died so suddenly."

A few lionesses gasped and others widened their eyes at the mention of _conspiracy_. Murmurings started to go around the group as the ex-Pride Landers and ex-Outlanders whispered among themselves. One important thing that had subtly fallen the night before, out of the detection of the lions in the Pride, was the sense of unity. Simba was of Pride Lands blood himself, but Nala was from the Outlands originally. It was only because of the two keeping the Pride in control with their rules that they were united – but now that this small spark of discontent was set off, the formerly separated Prides were starting to drift apart without anyone noticing. Anyone but a few opportunistic ones.

"Oh Kiburi, you Pride Landers talk a whole lot about conspiracies. Weren't they all over and done with when the Unison happened?" Spoke the honey-like voice of Subira. She had caught wind of where this was going to lead and was sailing with it.

"Pride Landers? What about you, the _Outlanders_?" Kiburi spat condescendingly. "You Outlanders are the ones who caused all the violence in the Unison!"

"I didn't say anything about violence. I was merely speaking of how much some of you loved talking about these funny conspiracies. That was it."

"Be quiet, you filthy, lowly _Outlander_!"

Everyone in the Pride was shocked to silence. What was it that Kiburi had just mentioned? _Filthy? Lowly?_

Amaani, Nala's younger half-sister, was the first one to leap up to the defence of her own accused bloodline.

"What the hell did you say?" she snapped.

"Did I not make myself clear enough?" Kiburi sneered. Zira, who felt that she was missing part the action, stood up, pacing slowly in front of the lioness.

"We did not hear you loud and clear, _sister_," she snarled. "Would you like to repeat yourself so they can _hear you_?"

Kiburi turned up her nose at the lioness that was pacing in front of her. Did all the Outlanders love to pick fights like this?

"In fact, I will repeat myself, with interest," she said. "Outlanders, are filthy, lowly, and do not deserve a place with the Pride Landers at Pride Rock!"

As much as half of the Pride were shocked by the insensitive words of the lioness, and Zira roared at her, raising a clawed paw, ready to dig it into the flesh of the offending party. But a spilt second before she attacked, a sleek male voice spoke, breaking the tension.

"Arguing about where we belong, are we now?"

The whole party of lionesses turned their attention from the escalating fight to the old, copper pelted lion who made their way into their midst, two cubs following in his wake.

"Petty." The lion said, shaking his head and siding with his mate. "I expected better behaviour from you, Kiburi. Did you say some naughty things about these lovely lionesses?"

"_Lovely? _Look at how your mate wanted to attack me!" She cried.

"That was because you wanted to insult us first, Pride Lander!" Zira snapped back at her.

"Shh, temper, temper," Scar mused, sliding his tail over the back of his mate. "And Kiburi, those lips of yours had better be shut or somebody will get badly injured. Now," he turned to look at all of the lionesses as a Pride, "we have more important issues to worry about. Kovu, Vitani, come beside me," he gestured to the two cubs behind him, and they immediately obeyed.

"As a Pride, we are all saddened by the death of my nephew and his daughter," he continued, inclining his head ever so slightly. "But in this time of turmoil, the Pride must have a good King and Queen to lead them through – but that is what the Pride does not have at the moment."

Sarabi gazed warily at her mate's brother. "What are you going on about, Scar?"

"I am now requesting that I be put in power as the ruler of the Pride Lands for the time being. And when the time comes for the heir to rule, I shall step down and let him take his rightful place." He finished smoothly, smiling at her.

The former Queen gasped in protest. "No Scar, the throne is not for you to take. The Queen still lives, and while she does, she is the one who will be making the decisions."

"What is a Queen without her King?" Scar asked, raising his brows. Was this a challenge?

"Scar, this is for Nala to decide."

"Ahh, you have only thought of me – but have you thought of _tradition_?"

"If tradition must come to be, then Mufasa and I will take the Pride Lands throne for the time being."

"Are you saying this because you simply _miss _the idea of being Queen, Sarabi?" Subira interjected. "Do not be so selfish. You and Mufasa have stepped down from the throne, and the next in line after Simba rightfully belongs to Scar."

Sarabi felt a growl rise in her throat, and tears threatening to spring to her eyes, but she immediately subdued those emotions. She did not like the accusation that she was power-hungry, and she was even more furious and upset that Scar talked that way about her own son - but for the sake of herself she calmed herself down.

"Then it will be up to the Pride to decide who will be the King and Queen," she said emotionlessly, then turned to Scar, and added, "It will be up to a vote."

"May the best lion win," Scar purred, pulling Kovu towards him and stroking the tuft of fur on the head of his adopted son, "and may the odds be _ever _in your favour."

* * *

"Uncle Mufasa, Aunt Sarabi has sent me here and asked me to report that the Pride has requested a vote for the position of the Pride Lands throne, which will take place this afternoon." The young teenager Mheetu said as he bowed respectfully to the former King, who sat on the very peak of Pride Rock.

Mufasa looked up, his eyes wet from tears that were shed just moments before. It wasn't only the lionesses who were grieving – the former King was grieving over the death of his own son. His son, who had just been alive yesterday. Just yesterday. Was it too much for the other lions to leave him alone for the time being? Could they not see that he just wanted some time to himself?

"Uncle?" Mheetu asked, pulling the old lion out of his thoughts.

"What is it?" he answered gruffly. Mheetu repeated himself.

"You have to be present this afternoon for a vote."

"A vote?"

"Yeah…a vote on who will be the King on the throne now that – you know – yeah."

Mufasa looked Mheetu in the eyes, burning ambers meeting a nervous light green.

"So this is all that you lions in the Pride have been thinking about?" he growled.

"Well, umm…no, it wasn't what it was all about, Sarabi mentioned that because Father wanted to take position as King." When Mheetu mentioned his father, it could mean no one else but Scar.

"So Scar wants to take his place as the King of the Pride Lands? The last time that happened, it was a complete _disaster."_

"I mean, Aunt just wants to see you so you could…umm…yeah. You just have to be present this afternoon at the gathering area below the promontory," Mheetu quickly finished, not liking any part of this. He turned tail and quickly started the long climb down.

Overhead in the clear, cloudless sky, a pair of curious secretary birds had heard the news about the vote.

_A vote? _They thought. This would be interesting news to share at the waterhole indeed.

* * *

With the afternoon at its hottest and the sun at its highest in the sky, the Pride gathered on a cluster of rocks, with Mufasa and Scar sitting on the highest rock, elevated above all of them. It was time to call for a vote from everyone in the Pride, and to their surprise just half an hour ago, the animals from the Pride Lands had come to attend the voting in of their Monarchs. News carried by the secretary birds had spread like wildfire across the plains. However, they were not allowed to vote by the rules – the lionesses made that very clear. This started out as a private affair for the lions themselves, and even though the other animals had chosen to attend, the voting had to stay private. Also, this was an event that was rarely, if not never, done in the Pride before. It wasn't common for a King to die along with his heir and leave behind the old former King and his brother.

Mufasa looked around at the large gathering, made sure that the whole Pride was present, and stood up to address them from his perch.

"Dear loyal subjects, I am speaking to you today, not as your King, but as a common lion of the Pride.

"I am sure all of you have heard the news that befell the Pride Lands yesterday," he retold the bad news without missing a beat – the behaviour of an experienced King.

"Today, my brother and I stand before you, the Pride, and ask humbly of you to cast a vote. This vote will mean a lot for the future of the Pride Lands, because each and every one of them will count towards who will become your next King."

He turned to Scar, who stood up and continued from where Mufasa left off.

"My dear Pride members, you are going to _have_ to vote carefully. Each member of the Pride may only vote once, and this does not count in the young members of the Pride who have not reached the age where they can run off without parental supervision. You know who they are. They will have to be kept in our sight. Lionesses, please hand them over to Zira, she will hold on to them for now.

"Ahh, and before I forget – I am not getting any younger, you see – due to the sake of being _fair_, two lionesses, namely Sarabi, and my own mate Zira, cannot participate in the vote."

Mufasa stepped in and continued, explaining the procedure.

"Behind us, there are two rocks. One is red, just like the rocks that lay near our borders that line up with the Outlands. The other is golden, just like the rocks that lie near the border of the Pride Lands, at the Gorge. The red rock represents Scar, and the golden rock represents me, Mufasa.

"Each of you, now holding on to a blade of grass, will place their blades behind the rock you have chosen. While Zira holds on to the cubs, Sarabi will stand witness to the casting of votes. Subira will be the first to cast hers, and she will then stand witness. Sarabi will then leave the witnessing and Kiburi will take her place.

"The voting may proceed."

The first one up was Subira, and she strode up to the area behind the two brothers. It was out of view, and obscured even more by the leaves of an acacia tree. On the barren ground lay the pair of rocks, one red and the other gold, and both were under the watchful eye of Sarabi.

"Place your blade of grass behind the rocks so that no other lion can see it," she instructed. That way, the voting would be fair.

Subira nodded, cast her vote, and went to take her place beside Sarabi.

"Next!" Sarabi called out, and up came Kiburi, who went for her obvious choice of Mufasa. She then replaced Sarabi as witness, and allowed the old lioness to re-join the Pride in front of the rocks.

One by one, the lions and lionesses came up to cast their votes. Most of them had mixed reactions on which rock they should place their blades of grass behind, and the voting took longer than expected. Some knew who they wanted to respect and look up to as King, but others had to think very carefully. Respect in the Pride was not a light matter.

A lioness who had her own internal emotions to battle with was Nala. Here she was, the mate of the fallen King. Having come from the Outlands, Nala had fallen in love with a lion from the Pride Lands. But where did her loyalties truly lie? Was it to her old ruler from the Outlands, which she used to address as King Scar, or did it lie in the father of her one true love, the old King Mufasa? Letting the other lionesses and lions go past her, she allowed herself some time to think. Slowly, the votes started to pile up, and when the time came for her to vote, she was the last Pride member in line. Up she went, studying the two rocks. One as red as the lands of her old home, and the other as golden as the sun in her new one.

And she cast her vote.

When the last blade of grass fell onto the pile, it was time for the tedious process of counting it. Subira and Kiburi would each have to count the votes for the red and golden rock respectively, and then exchange their piles to each other and count that one, and make sure the numbers from their counts for each rock matched. The fool proof idea was improvised by the two contending brothers, who wanted to ensure that the votes were fair.

It was Subira who came up in front of the brothers, her posture proud, with only her head inclined slightly. Kiburi came up behind her, her stance showing evident arrogance. It seemed like only a thin line of mutual respect was holding the two back from clawing at each other's faces.

"Scar, Mufasa. Kiburi and I have finished the counting, and here we hold the results."

"Give them here," said Scar, "let's skip the formalities and be out with it already."

As the pair of lionesses started the climb up to where the brothers stood, both brothers exchanged a glance that showed everything they were thinking of.

The Pride and the animals that had gathered around held their breaths. Whatever the result was, it was not going to be pleasant.

**My dear readers, I hope you have enjoyed the chapter and the very slight reference of what happened before the Unison. But now I want to do something that I have never done before, here in my first story on the site.**

**I am going to place a blade of grass into your hand. Now, a vote is in your hands. Will it be Mufasa and Sarabi, or will it be Scar and Zira that takes the Pride Land throne? **

**Cast your vote carefully, it may count to how the politics in the Pride Lands play out. Think carefully!  
For Mufasa, type 'Gold' in the start of your review.  
For Scar, type 'Red' in the start of your review. **

**Don't forget to vote – but more importantly, don't forget to leave me with your thoughts. Remember, the choice is in your hands, readers!**

_EDIT 23/6/2013: Voting is now closed. Sorry!_  



	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hello readers! Welcome to one of the most mixed chapters of all time…**

**I apologise for the delay, this shouldn't have taken so long. For this time round I'll cut the crap and let you read first, a longer A/N will be at the back. I know most of you are dying to see the vote! And this is a slightly longer chapter to make it up to you lovely people. Check out my new cover to the story, by the way! **

**Lion King is owned by Disney. OCs are owned by me.  
The song **_**My Lullaby **_**is owned by Disney as well.  
Credits go to **_**yeti1995 **_**for proofreading, and helping me along with a certain part of the story. Couldn't have done it without you bro! :)**

* * *

"We stand before you, the Pride, as humble lionesses announcing the results of the vote."

Every prey, every predator, every bird and every beast that was gathered around the rocks held their breath and turned to look at the two lionesses, Subira and Kiburi, which stood beside the royal brothers, Scar and Mufasa.

"It has been said – that the one with the most votes from the Pride will gain Kingship, with his Queen beside him, as the ruler of the Pride Lands." Subira smiled, catching the eyes of the Pride members.

Nala held her breath. Did she make the right choice?

"I am proud to announce today – "

Nala's eyes were wide in anticipation. Each of Subira's words weighed heavily on her ears.

" – that the new monarchs of the Pride Lands are – "

_Great Kings_, she thought, _please make a good choice_.

" – King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi."

Nala's own thoughts were immediately drowned out by the sound of some cheering. The herd of animals that had gathered by the rock cluster made loud sounds and cries of approval, cheering for their King and Queen. They were not unfamiliar to Mufasa and Sarabi as monarchs, because the pair had ruled over these lands before the Unison before.

"All hail King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi!" A rhinoceros bellowed, and the animals followed up with an equally booming sound of cheer.

"Silence, silence please." Musfasa boomed, and the animals turned up to look at him, quickly quietening down. "It is with a heavy heart that I take the throne. This was not meant to be, and I hope it never has to happen again in the history of the Pride Lands." The animals stopped their cheer immediately. Most of them had been too caught up in the moment to remember what had tragically happened just one sunrise before.

Down below in the crowd of lionesses and lions, Zira hissed in disapproval, extending her claws. One of the cubs looked towards her with wide eyes, a little startled by the noise.

"Auntie Zira, what's the noise about this time?" The cub was too young to comprehend what was the entire din was about.

"Oh my little one," she snarled, "it is time for a _revolution."_

"A revolution? What is a revolution?"

"Something that I am going to start," she hissed, just loud enough for that single cub to hear. Sheathing her extended claws, and unsheathing them again, she locked her crimson eyes on the cub. The cub stared at her, slightly confused and afraid.

"Uhh Auntie Zira, I don't understand…"

"You are going to understand very, very soon," Zira chuckled, her eyes bright with anticipation. Oh, the Pride will never see this coming to them, while she holds their little _heirs _in her claws…

"And how is my sister doing with these _lovely _little cubs?" Subira asked, as she descended from on top of the rocks and came face to face with Zira. "I hope they're not too much _trouble _for you, sister. I wouldn't want to see any of them get _hurt_," she cooed, as she pulled one of the youngest cubs towards her, stroking its fur with claws outstretched.

Zira gazed intensely at her sister, waiting for her move. But nothing happened.

"Well Subira? What are you waiting for?"

"Were you expecting me to just come in and –" she glanced down at the cub –" _extinguish _the small flames that we hold here, Zira? No no no. Why does it all have to end in violence?" She smiled sweetly, her eyes glinting with malice.

"Then what was your plan all along?"

"Not here Zira, not here," she said, looking at the slightly older cubs as she continued grooming the cub in her paws. "I much rather like quiet places to discuss business, you know. All this celebration is going to suffocate someone," she said distastefully.

Zira grunted, and stood up from where she was lying down with the cubs. "You speak too much, Subira. It is not as if you yourself have been denied access as Queen here, isn't it?" Her voice nearly rose to a growl.

Subira immediately dropped the cub and stood up. "Sister, we need to talk. Meet me at the _tembo makaburini_ when the sun starts to sink into the lands."

* * *

When the gathering had dispersed, and after it was announced that there would be a re-crowning ceremony held by Rafiki to inform the rest of the Pride Land dwellers of the new King and Queen, the sunset was near. Making her way into the Elephant Graveyard, she was greeted by three hyenas who stood under a giant skull.

"Hey look who's here, the sister of the big boss eh?" Banzai laughed, and Zira aimed a swipe at his muzzle, narrowly missing him.

"I was supposed to be your future _Queen_!" she roared. "Give me the respect that is due, or I will _make _you give it to me!"

"He-he-he, alright, no need to get so worked up over this – oof!" He exclaimed as Shenzi hit him over the head.

"Did'ja forget that we're workin' together with her to rest our Matriarch's soul in peace, Banzai? Huh? Did'ja?"

Banzai growled, the sound coming from deep in his throat. He did not forget how he saw the body of his leader, lying there in the dust of the Gorge. "I haven't, Shenzi."

"Subira says that the cub may still be alive, and as long as she lives, I will not die. Do you understand that?" Shenzi looked utterly serious for her usual self, and even Zira had to admit that the hyenas looked more deadly than when they were fooling around. The perfect weapons, she thought.

As the hyenas talked among themselves, excluding Ed, who was once again staring off into thin air, his eyes out of focus, Subira stepped in from behind Zira.

"Zira," she greeted.

"Subira."

"Oh, my poor sister. How I felt for you today when you lost the votes. I nearly shed tears of sorrow…" she said dramatically.

"Cut it Subira. Why do you always have to provoke people when you speak?" The older of the two sisters growled angrily once again.

"Apparently, your mood today seems pretty bad, doesn't it? But of course. You couldn't become Queen along with that soft mate of yours."

"This talk is over," Zira turned her back and started to walk away towards the Pride Lands.

"Be patient Zira, we're all here to discuss business. Aren't we, hyenas?" She turned to the trio, which nodded in reply. But Zira only gave an angry flick of her tail in response.

"Wait, Zira, I told you to be patient," Subira sighed loudly. "Well, _maybe _I have a plan…oh dear, it just slipped my mind."

Zira snapped around. "What is it?"

"If you come closer, I may tell you my little secret," Subira grinned.

Zira stalked over to her sister impatiently. "What?" She then lowered her voice, speaking slowly and thoughtfully. "Does it involve…killing King Mufasa?"

Subira laughed. "Yes, sister, you're thinking on the right tracks! But think about the consequences if we do a killing now. What would happen?"

Zira thought hard. "We'll be able to take the throne…?"

Subira rolled her eyes. "No, things don't happen like in a fairy-tale. What, you can throw him off a cliff, pretend that it was an accident, and go back to find yourself Queen? Zira, did you see the amount of votes that Mufasa got? I'm sure I did," she laughed to herself, "I'm the one that has counted the votes along with the other spiteful lioness."

"How many supporters does Mufasa have?"

"More than we've expected, Zira. He has many supporters…it would be very, very unwise to kill him now."

"Who are his supporters?" Zira asked.

"That's precisely the problem – we have no idea who's on whose side. But with every problem, comes a solution." Subira unsheathed her claws, raking them across the dark soil of the Elephant Graveyard.

"We would have to make the Pride turn to our cause – that Scar rightfully sits on the throne. It is not for his arrogant brother to rule. Imagine this – Mufasa is not _too _old yet. What if he chooses – or _creates_ - a new heir in place of him? What would happen to us, the original Outlanders then? Kovu will be tossed aside to make way for the new heir…and I'm sure it does not sound one bit pleasing to your ears, does it?"

Zira felt her jealousy in her rise. "No! I will not let my son be denied the position of future King. We must turn the Pride to our side."

"Good, good!" Subira encouraged. "You're catching on! First, we would need to identify who's on our side…"

"And secondly," Zira added, "Kovu's playtime is over. Time for the makings of an unrivalled _King_!"

"Yes, our patience is almost coming to fruition!" Subira's ruby eyes seemed to blaze in the blood red sunset. "Very soon, the Pride Lands will be ours." She laughed, a tinkling laughter, seemingly innocent, but with a dangerous undertone.

"Soon, Zira, soon…"

* * *

As was with the traditions of lullabies, many loving parents of calves, cubs or chicks in the Pride Lands sung these melodies to coax their children into sleep. _We Are One _was a favourite between Kiara and Simba, and it had consisted of lyrics that radiated with warmth. This one that Zira sang to Kovu, however, was one that told of power, and held a rather ominous tone.

"_Sleep my little Kovu  
Let your dreams take wing  
One day when you're big and strong…  
You will be a King!"_

As Zira placed the sleeping form of her son alongside her two other children in the den, she could not help but feel a sense of – pride? No, that was not it. It was, rather, a sense of _power_. Her children were going to grow up as supporters of their adoptive father and their own mother when the couple became King and Queen. Nuka, Vitani, and of course, _King _Kovu.

Oh, how she loved the sound of that.

* * *

In the jungle, on the very same afternoon, it was a whole different story.

A cooling wave of water had splashed over Kiara, and it was the first thing she felt before she could conjure any conscious thought.

Where am I…? She tried to speak, yet her throat felt like it was on fire. Another wave splashed onto her, and _boy did it feel good_. Her mind felt like it was filled with steam, and the water was cooling it down steadily.

She thought she heard someone speak to her, and she tried to listen, but her ears couldn't seem to sense anything in this heavy darkness. But she could feel something shaking her, and drowsily she opened her parched lips to speak.

"Daddy?" it came out more of a coarse whisper, and she peeled her eyelids open.

"The kid is awake Pumbaa!" She awoke to see two very unfamiliar animals standing in front of her eyes. The smaller, strange mouse-like creature looked extremely relieved, the red tuft of fur on his head sticking out in weird directions that made him look like he either just had a busy day or one big stressful moment. The other larger one, the one with the big tusks, a huge snout and a friendly glint in his eyes, held a look of concern.

The smaller creature came forward with a huge leaf, curled into a bowl in his hand-like paws. "Hey kid, you'll have to drink something."

"Open up!" The one with the huge snout smiled at Kiara. She did as told, and the smaller one came over to her and poured water that was held by the leaf into her eager throat.

The effect of water in her was extremely soothing, a great relief from the fiery and painful sensation that her throat had just moments ago. Kiara felt huge gratitude to whoever these two creatures were. When she finally had her fill, she opened her mouth to speak.

"W-where am I?" She spoke, her voice coming out shakier than intended. Her memories of what had happened before were slightly fuzzy and she tried hard to remember what happened before, but it only made her head pound uncomfortably.

Both her benefactors turned to look at each other, raised their eyebrows, then suddenly turned their backs on her and started a heated discussion with whispers.

"Hey Pumbaa, do you know what _she _is?" Timon asked, climbing up Pumbaa's snout and staring into his eyes with his arms crossed.

"Uhh…she's a little lion?"

"Precisely! And do you know what lions do?!"

"They roar?"

"_They eat meat, Pumbaa!" _Timon cried, pulling hard on Pumbaa's ears.

"Uhh…"

"_That means she's gonna eat us!"_

"Uhh Timon…"

"_Save ourselves, Pumbaa!"_

"TIMON!" Pumbaa cried, making the meerkat jump and silencing him for a while. He cleared his throat before he continued. "She's just a little lion!"

"When she grows up to be a big lion she's gonna –"

"Where am I?" Kiara's voice sliced through the argument, and she sat up, rubbing her head with a paw. Something in the back of her head told her that something was not right, something terrible had happened for her not to be home. Then she realised what it was. The Gorge. The hyenas. The desert.

_Her father._

"No…no!" She cried, standing up all of a sudden. "Where's Daddy? Where is he?"

"Not here is all I can say…" answered Timon uncertainly.

_Not here. _Those two words brought out her panic and her grief even more. She had not had the time to cry properly due to the incidents in the Gorge, but now all of a sudden she was trembling and sobbing her heart out, her tears flowing freely, her mind replaying the traumatising events over and over.

"Daddy…no…"

Timon and Pumbaa shared a second glance with each other, both standing awkwardly and uncertainly for a while, and then both went to each side of the cub, each placing a comforting hand on to Kiara's back.

"Hey kid, we might not know what had happened, but you have got to stop crying," said Timon. Pumbaa sniffed, and gave her a few comforting pats on the back.

"My Daddy, h-he's gone…"

"Where'd he – " Pumbaa began, but was quickly cut off with a glare from Timon. "Oh."

"Look kid," said Timon, "you've got to stop crying. You know why?"

"W-why?" Kiara asked, her voice catching into her throat.

"You're going to drain out all your water if you keep at it!" Timon said jokingly, giving her a pat on the back. If it were in a lighter situation, Kiara would have laughed, but she was too drained for that and didn't even manage a weak smile. She only cried harder.

"Oh no…are you alright, kid?" Timon asked. Kiara shook her head.

Pumbaa, worried about how sad the lioness cub in front of him looked, tried to offer comfort with his favourite motto in life. "Aww kid, we all have things in life that makes us so blue. But _Hakuna Matata! _You've got to look on the bright side."

Eyes watering, Kiara looked up at Pumbaa, not taking in what he had just said, but deciding that he was a good guy. For a small cub like her, what she needed was emotional comfort and somebody whom she could trust, and here it was, in a world of the unknown. Suddenly hugging him with both front paws, she sobbed into his mane, crying her heart out. Timon flinched at the sudden movement, and Pumbaa's eyes widened, but the warthog continued to pat her on the back. After what seemed like a long time, when her crying seemed to slow down, Pumbaa popped a question to her.

"Hey little guy, what's your name?"

Kiara sniffed, answering softly while still clinging on to Pumbaa. "I'm not a guy, I'm a girl."

The warthog and the meerkat glanced at each other, surprise etched onto their faces.

"What?" The both of them said in unison. A prolonged silence hung in the air as Kiara let go of the warthog and stared at the both of them, slightly puzzled.

"What's wrong with being a girl?" She asked.

"Well, girls have gotta watch their complexion, you know," Timon said quickly, effectively brushing the awkwardness away and holding a leaf over Kiara and lending shade in a sunny spot of the jungle. Kiara finally got a hint of a smile on her face as her tears slowed down.

"Timon and Pumbaa," Timon introduced, and the duo bowed with a flourish and finished together, "at your service."

Kiara looked at the both of them, and she knew that it was common courtesy to introduce oneself when another has spoken their name. Unconsciously, the teachings of her parents still held strong in her head, and she nodded. "I'm Kiara," she said amusedly.

"Ahh, Kiara! That's – a nice name," said Timon. The name sounded slightly familiar, but from where, he couldn't place. Walking further and resting his hand on her shoulder, he brought her to a thicker part of the jungle, with Pumbaa trotting beside them. "Welcome," he said, pushing aside the leaves of a giant fern, "to our humble home."

The sight that greeted Kiara's eyes made her gasp in surprise. Here, the thinly vegetated ground went down a hill, and gradually got thicker. But the most stunning parts were the waterfalls that plummeted down from the highest of mountains, and created misty clouds that hung over the pools at their bottom. Rocky cliffs were surrounded and softened by moss and lush jungle vegetation, which held their ancient crowns proudly in the sun. A wide, sparkling river coursed through the heart of valley, bringing with it the subtle scents of sweet, wild fruits and flowers, and the pleasant, soft scent of running water. As the leaves of the tallest trees swayed their leaves, birds of bright plumage flew into the air, their brilliant colours complementing the calm colours and movements of the foliage.

The Princess of the Pride Lands had never come across such a sight in her life, and she was filled with wonder. "You live _here_?"

"We live wherever we want," Timon said proudly.

"Home is where your rump rests. Heh!" Pumbaa said jovially.

As the trio looked on into the scenery, a feline figure that stayed hidden by the dancing shadows in the canopy prowled on the branches high above. His hazel coloured eyes were flecked with gold, and they reflected the filtered sunlight through the crowns of the ancient jungle trees. He was so well blended into the leaves that nothing had spotted him, and no prey could hear his silent movements until a few seconds before their untimely death. Paws treading noiselessly on the rugged branches, he observed the happenings on the ground with his lips pulled up into the expression of a delighted hunter.

_Welcome to the jungle, _he thought.

**Aaaand another little cliffhanger.**

**Another piece of fact I know you all want to know is the voting results, so here they are:**

_**12 **_**readers voted **_**Gold**_

_**4 **_**readers voted **_**Red**_

_**Voting is now closed.**_

**You guys…I'm disappointed, why not vote Scar? Don't you all love him? Now Subira is going to kill all of you…**_**muahahaha**_**…**

**Heh, but seriously speaking, Mufasa nearly won by a landslide, taking ¾ of the votes. Thank you so much for all the votes; I enjoyed every single one of them!**

**On to the story here – I hope you guys enjoyed the presence of Subira as much as I did. And also guys, tell me if I did Kiara right over here…I'm afraid I made her, or any other character OOC, because this chapter is telling the emotions of the aftermath of the stampede. And for those who are curious about Nala's vote – be patient, that is up for you to decide…for now. ;)**

**One thing I felt was not done right in the movie was Timon and Pumbaa's dealing with Simba when they meet him after he comes awake. I know, it is a great movie and all, and they don't want to make it too dark, but how did his grief as a cub just go away with one song of Hakuna Matata? Impossible! Kids can recover even faster than adults after tragedies, but that's just…fast. I thought Kiara could do with some comfort first, and there's no need to rush things.**

**The next update may not be coming fast because school for me is starting once again, but I hope I keep the time between chapters to 3 weeks max. Hope you guys have enjoyed the chapter. Please leave me with your thoughts! Cheers!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey all! Check out the new cover to the story!**

**Forgive me for another late update. I would love to update weekly but as you can see, that is not possible – busy as my schedule gets, I will seriously try not to make you guys wait more than three weeks for a chapter. Worse come to worse, one month.**

**Anyways, my life has been pretty crazy over the past two weeks – I've been hard at study and commissions, and I've watched Monsters University (awesome movie!) and I have seen **_**Gordon Ramsay**_** in real life…yes, the _god_ of the kitchen in real life! I'm a fan of that awesome chef from hell!**

**Now in the story, we will be diving into unfamiliar territory that isn't explored in the movie. You know how Simba grows up after one song of Hakuna Matata, right? Fortunately that is not something that I want to follow, because if I did that then it would be terrible. Nothing cool would happen! But do bear with me as we go through this part – if it gets terrible tell me. It's my first time at this, and I appreciate good feedback. For you music lovers out there - on this chapter, put the track _Border Patrol _by _Two Steps From Hell _on replay, you won't regret it.**

**The Lion King is owned by Disney but OCs belong to me. As always, the proofreading credits go to the awesome _yeti1995_. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

His claws found purchase on the rough, unforgiving bark, and he slowly made his way over, expertly crossing branches and hopping from one tree to another, taking great risks over the dizzying heights of the canopy.

Climbing a tree, even for an expert like him, was a harder task than it looked. The primates in the forest had an opposable thumb that they were able to utilise, and here he was with none. What guided him was experience. The thinner branches would not be able to take his weight, but the thicker boughs paved a way in the trees. And he had to be very quiet – the leaves were a friend at concealment, but an enemy when it came to their rustling noises. One wrong move – and it would be harder to catch his next meal.

A few bouts of movements high above the jungle undergrowth, and he was zoning in on his prey. The hunter licked his chops, thinking of how many days a warthog would satisfy him. From where he was proudly perched, he waited for his unsuspecting prey, almost like an eagle from above.

Closer and closer, the golden-eyed predator came.

* * *

Kiara walked with her new friends in the jungle undergrowth, never failing to be excited by every new thing she came across. The butterflies that darted in and out of the vegetation were more vibrantly coloured than those in the savannah. The birds that flew overhead made many different kinds of calls, and here they sounded louder when their voices echoed through the abode of old, towering trees.

She was led to a place where a waterfall plunged into sparkling waters. A beam of sunlight gently inched its way through the cover of leaves, reflecting off the pool, and vines hung and dipped low among rocks that supported many roots. Fallen logs made the place look slightly cluttered, but about seven meters above them, where many layers of water cascaded and fell into a rocky pool, a huge log lay in place, spanning a bridge across two cliffs.

The Princess was indeed still sad, but these new things kept her off her thoughts. But the thought of her father – her _father. _How it stabbed at her heart after a seemingly long time. This place gave her rest, but she had to go home and tell everyone about what happened. Perhaps, she thought, she'd stay here for a while. Just for a day, still knowing that she had to get back to her mother somehow. She thought she'd let Timon and Pumbaa know.

"Umm…Uncle Timon? Uncle Pumbaa?" She started, looking at the duo that was walking up to the logs.

"I like them crispy," said Pumbaa, totally oblivious to the Princess.

"Crunchy!" Timon argued back, as the warthog thrust a log upwards with his snout, exposing a musty smell of rot into the air. Kiara cringed slightly.

"No, the best bugs are _crispy_," Pumbaa declared.

"_Crunchy!"_

"_Crispy!"_

"_Crunchy!"_

"Guys?!" Kiara shouted, halting the both of them in their bickering. "I need to – uhh…"

"Oh, now you've made the kid hungry," Timon folded his arms, glaring at Pumbaa. He turned back to Kiara, grinning at her. "_Hakuna Matata _kid, we have a lot of grub."

Kiara's stomach growled at the sound of food. She had not eaten in hours. "I could eat a whole zebra…" she groaned, thinking of her favourite food.

Hearing this, the pair looked at each other, Timon glaring at a curious-eyed Pumbaa. The meerkat's look said it all – _I told you so _– and he nervously turned back to the lioness cub. The meat eating, _carnivorous_ lioness cub, he thought fearfully.

"Eeeeah. We're fresh out of zebra."

Kiara's face fell. "Any antelope?"

"Nu-uh."

"_Hippo?" _She asked, getting desperate.

"Listen kid, if you live with us, you have to eat like us."

"Uhh well, that was something that I wanted to talk about –"

"Give it to her Pumbaa!" Timon gestured proudly, lifting up a huge, heavy looking red slug.

"Eww! That's _gross_!" Kiara's nose scrunched up in disgust. Pumbaa however, was already starting a feast of his own. Slurping up a long, green worm from the ground, he burped loudly.

"Slimy, yet satisfying," he said contentedly.

"Here kid, have one," Timon handed a squirming blue beetle over to her. Kiara shook her head, smiling nervously.

"No, I don't do bugs…"

"You'll learn to love 'em!" Pumbaa cried. "As my friend Timon here says, _Hakuna Matata."_

"What? What does that mean?" Kiara was puzzled. That phrase kept popping up over and over between her newfound friends. Perhaps she should have paid attention when her Dad was teaching her the ancient language – her _Dad. _Thinking about him was like sending a stake through her heart. Watching him through the stampede, watching –

"_Hakuna Matata. _What a wonderful phrase!" Timon gestured with his hands still holding the blue beetle, bringing Kiara out of her dark thoughts as she watched him curiously.

"_Hakuna Matata – ain't no passing craze!" _Pumbaa sang, shaking his rump along to a rhythm in his head. Both of the animals started doing a duet, dancing along to their sudden burst of song.

"_It means no worries  
For the rest of your days!  
It's a problem-free  
Philosophy!_

The duo finished with a flourish. _"Hakuna Matata!"_

"Sing it kid!" Timon did a knee-slide on the ground, pointing to Kiara enthusiastically, hands outspread.

"Uhh…_Hakuna Matata_!" Kiara half-sang, looking amusedly at both of them with her brows raised.

"Yeah that's it! Keep going!" Timon encouraged. "The tune of the year!"

"_It means no worries,"_ she started shyly, and the duo continued without missing a beat for her.

"_For the rest of your days!"_

Kiara laughed. _"It's a problem-free!"_

"_Philosophy!" _Timon and Pumbaa belted out smoothly.

"_Hakuna Matata!" _The trio finished cheerily, leaning into each other.

* * *

Neither did the trio know, amidst their joy, that he was watching them from the treetops.

And he dropped effortlessly, claws extended, the embodiment of death descending from above. The cub was the first to look up, and she screamed, darting out of the way immediately. But the warthog was a second slower, and it couldn't avoid his latching claws as he hooked on to its bucking form.

* * *

"AHHHH! Get him Pumbaa get him!" Timon yelled helplessly, unable to do anything to save his friend from the latching claws of the beast that had seemingly fallen out of the sky. Pumbaa was kicking and trying to run out of the feline's grasp, and both he and the predator were struggling, one to keep life and the other to take it. The noise startled many birds, which flew out of the bushes, calling in panic. The predator took advantage of the sudden shock, and leapt onto the warthog, effectively pinning him down.

"If you stop struggling I promise I will make this easier for you," he growled as Pumbaa kicked out at his chest.

"_Get off him!" _A young voice yelled, and all of a sudden he found his back getting assaulted by the cub. _"Get off get off! Please! _You can't eat my friend!_"_

The feline reared up onto his hind legs, violently throwing the cub off. Turning away from Pumbaa, who immediately darted off into the safety of the bushes, he focused his gaze onto Kiara.

"Would you like to have your turn first?" He grinned, black-rimmed and gold-flecked eyes narrowing. A long, black-tipped tail swayed playfully behind him. But the most significant feature on him was a scar that ran down the right side of his lip just under his nose, extending down to his pale-furred chin. It made him look even more intimidating. Time seemed to slow as he paced over to the cub, not even bothering to hurry.

Kiara froze in fear, her bravado from the attempted rescue gone. "I – I…"

"Looks like a lioness has left her cargo behind," he said, "and what's lost is found. I'll make this quick. I _promise_," he said, unsheathing his sharp claws once again.

"DO NOT TOUCH HER!" A voice boomed, and for a moment Kiara thought her father had come back to life – until another identical creature leapt in front of her. Now there were two dangerous, fully grown predators in front of the cub. _Leopards. _One was pacing in front of her, growling, while the other, the scarred one, stood defensively, holding a snarl on his once smiling muzzle.

"She is mine!" The leopard, which had seemingly jumped to her defence, roared at the other.

"I do not understand how another of my own kind has not even the courtesy to _introduce _himself when he steals a kill," the scarred one snarled, his voice significantly deeper than the other. He started to pace around his opponent, haunches raised.

"My name is Chui, and this is my claim. Tell me likewise or I will make sure you won't live to see the next sunrise."

"What are you talking about?" The other leopard narrowed his eyes.

"Tell me your name!" The scarred leopard hissed.

"Why in the world should I? You jungle leopards and your stupid rules. Now if you excuse me, I have a job to do."

"A stupid jungle leopard? I think not," the one who called himself Chui mused, his voice suddenly taking on a different tone. Prowling low and flicking his tail, he flashed a grin at the other feline, his smile – suggestive?

"What are you doing?" The other asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. Chui gave a playful raise of his eyebrows here, a flick of his tail there. Suddenly, Chui slid his tail under the chin of the other, nearly making him leap away.

"Gah! _What in the world are you doing?!"_

Chui kept his tail in place, in the sensitive nook of the other's throat.

"I am merely…_hunting," _he purred. The other leopard flinched, brown eyes growing wider and wider by the moment. "Care to join me…for _lunch_?"

The leopard flinched. From where Kiara was, she could begin to see the differences between the two similar looking felines. The one that was standing somewhat protectively – no, possessively – in front of her had smaller spots and his fur was a bright cream-yellow, contrasting to the deep green tones of the jungle. The one known as Chui had more bulk up on his shoulders. All over his coat and his face, black rosettes were painted over a dark gold, akin to the shadows of the leaves in sunset. And his low voice, compared to his commanding tone before, was spilling like honey.

"No way in the name of the Great Kings that I will join you," the cream-yellow leopard hissed, disgusted. Chui seemed to slither, walking slowly around him, all the while grinning with a playful look on his face. It scared the other leopard.

"No, cub, move and I kill you," Chui suddenly shot a glare in Kiara's direction. Then, eyes softening, he turned back to the other spotted cat. "You will want to join me – when all of this is over." Chui mischievously maneuvered his tail to slide on top of the other's muzzle, and started inching behind him. The cream-yellow leopard froze in place, too shocked to move.

"What is wrong with you?!"

But no reply came. Chui's tail slid off, leaving him staring into the jungle. He could still feel the bigger leopard behind him, and he didn't dare turn around. It scared him, to tell the truth – this was not like anything he had encountered in his life.

"You had better not do anything - stupid!"

But only silence met him. This was it, he thought. Turning around with a ferocious snarl – he was shocked. Chui was gone. And so was the cub.

"_Where did she go?!"_

And then he heard a small scream from behind him.

Turning back to face his opponent, he realised that he was gone as well – and clawing up a tree at top speed, his muscles pushing him vertically further. And in his mouth hung the cub, held in his jaws by her nape.

"NO!" The leopard roared from the ground, and started to climb after his prize.

Kiara nearly felt as if she was flying as she hung from Chui's jaws. When she looked down, the heights were dizzying and her head spun, but when she looked forwards, the branches were practically rushing to her face, threatening to snap into her eyes with every jump her captor took among the trees. She didn't even have the courage to scream for help as the wind rushed by her. When she looked back, she saw a sight that frightened her as much as this rush through the canopy – the other leopard, the one that had seemingly saved her, was running on the branches precariously, lacking the grace of her captor, but still clumsily making his way across, shouting as he did.

The chase carried on, with the scarred leopard taking the lead effortlessly and the other hot on his tail, desperately trying to catch up. It seemed to Kiara that the one at the back was not familiar with his paws on the jungle's branches, and when the chase came upon a rushing river, it was here that her captor stopped on a thick bough, glancing around for a way across. _There! _On the opposite bank, there was another branch. The leopard knew how the monkeys around the area would spring across to the other bank on this invisible connection. Taking a quick glance around him and seeing that he had no choice, he crouched down, preparing for a leap of faith across the rapids.

Kiara clamped her eyes shut. They were going to die here and now, she thought. No no no, she did not want to die!

Time seemed to stop when her captor sprung, claws outstretched, out into the open.

And all of a sudden time resumed its flow when Kiara felt the impact of her captor landing onto a branch, his precision letting his front legs hook on to the bough before he pulled the rest of his body up. He ran forward a few paces, and Kiara felt his hot breath panting from the exertion.

Turning around just in time, the captor and his captive saw the other leopard fail at his leap and fall into the water, kicking and screaming.

"Listen to me – I – " he paused unintentionally, choking water out his mouth as he was swept away helplessly, "I will get you – !" the last of his sentence was drowned out by the sound of rushing water.

The leopard with the scarred lip stood on the branch with the cub in his mouth, both staring into the rushing waters silently for a few moments. Then as suddenly as time had paused and flowed during the leap over the river, time seemed to stop again as Kiara looked up into the intimidating shadow of her captor. The predator stared down his chin, looking at her. Wide, reddish brown eyes met narrow, hazel eyes that flowed with gold.

Kiara forced her words out of her tightening throat. "What…what are you going to do with me?"

The leopard looked down his chin – and grinned.

* * *

He struggled. When he managed to get his head above the surface he gasped for air, greedily swallowing it before the water's invisible chokehold pulled him back under. It was him against a great river – and it was a battle that was hard for him to win.

Being cynical, he would have laughed if he wasn't dying. Circle of Life? Pah. Without death there cannot be life, and now that he was dying it seemed funny that his life was going to sustain the ugly, worthless ones that dwelled in the waters. His mouth released a trail of bubbles, his cry of pain drowned as the river tossed him against obstacles that he was sure were boulders. Or branches. He couldn't tell – he was hurtling forwards, seemingly being thrown through thick, liquefied air. In which he couldn't breathe at all. He needed air.

No he was not going to die. When he died he wanted to go down fighting – and when he died he would make sure that the one who led to his end would suffer the same horrible fate. But he couldn't kill a river if it killed him. His killer was shouting at him, roaring unheard words in his ears as it tossed him forwards. That was why he needed to fight till the end, to get the oxygen back into his lungs. This was something that he told himself over and over. Breathe. You must breathe. Do not die now. You have to breathe.

And when his front, his chest came hard into contact with a rock, his claws instinctively sunk into the grainy, slippery surface. His energy was slipping away, but his determination to live was not. With a growl that washed away with the rush of the river, he pulled his upper body up on to the rock, his mouth gaping open, welcoming the sweet oxygen that entered it.

Coughing and spluttering, Bato growled angrily at himself and everything else around him. He had failed and nearly gotten himself killed. But he had survived. And as he used his remaining strength to get on to the mossy surface, his temper started to build. Not even a raging, cold river could calm him down.

How he _hated _the taste of losing to another that was weaker than him. How he _hated _the taste of failure. His failure had resulted in he himself nearly getting killed.

For that, everyone was going to _pay_.

**Now I know that this chapter may not have been very much, but it is one that is transitional. These have to happen to set base for even better things – so I hope it was alright! Bear with me here. If you thought it was awesome, or terrible enough to use as virtual toilet paper – please tell me. I'll do my best not to disappoint. :)**

**What did you think of these new additions of Chui and Bato into the jungle? **

**All in all I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading, and see you on the next chapter. Cheers!**


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